2016 Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship by KamloopsThisWeek

DAY 6 Ice Hockey Womenâ€™s World Championship

April 3, 2016

Published by Kamloops This Week

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

THANKS TO PLAYERS

COMMUNITIES CAN GROW

PROUD TEAMMATES OF THE 2016 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. HELPING CREATE WINNING EXPERIENCES FOR EVERYONE IN KAMLOOPS. LEARN MORE AT PLAYITFORWARD.BCLC.COM

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

UPCOMING

GAMES Sunday, April 3 - 3:00 pm Sandman Centre

GOLD 5TH

Monday, April 4 - 7:30 pm Sandman Centre

Sunday, April 3 - 5:00 pm McArthur Island

BRONZE Sunday, April 3 - 7:30 pm Sandman Centre

WINNER

LOSER

SILVER

Monday, April 4 - 3:00 pm Sandman Centre

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

CANADA VS FINLAND SEMIFINAL PREVIEW If the Canadians are looking past Finland to the gold-medal game, they certainly aren’t showing it. Canada and Finland meet in a semifinal game tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Sandman Centre. “I think we’ve been focusing one game at a time here and I think we know nothing has been achieved here,” Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin said yesterday. “We’re going to go tomorrow [Sunday] and play a semi against Finland and we’re just going to focus on that game. We haven’t won yet and we have to prove that we’re ready to go and play one shift at a time with no regrets.” Speaking of their semifinal opponent following practice yesterday, the Canadians heaped on the praise. They complimented Finland’s goaltending, its defence, the talent of its forward group. They referenced last Tuesday’s contest against the Americans, when Michelle Karvinen gave the Finns an early 1-0 lead and goaltender Meeri

Räisänen stopped 49 shots and nearly stole the victory, only for the nation to falter in the second period and fall 2-1. There was little mention of Canada’s own 6-1 victory against Finland in preliminary round play on Thursday. What they did say showed no signs they expected an easy victory tonight. “I think they played us pretty strong the first game,” said Jennifer Wakefield, Canada’s leading goal scorer in Kamloops. She had two goals and two assists against Finland on Thursday. “I think our plan is just to keep them pinned in their own zone and make them play defence,” Wakefield said. “If you play defence the whole game, it’s going to be tough to get that opportunity to score some goals.” In reality, Finland has never beaten Canada at the women’s world championship, but the Canadians aren’t relying on history. Head coach Laura Schuler could name more than a few close finishes against the Finns — and a tie, harkening back to her playing days — and expects

the nation to have made adjustments after facing Canada earlier in the week. Moving the puck through the neutral zone will be difficult, she said, as it was earlier in the week. Finland’s top-ranked power play will be strong. “We really had to work hard against the Finns to get the chances that we got and we’re going to have to work hard again tomorrow to get those same chances,” Schuler said. If there’s an area where the Canadians would like to see improvement, it’s scoring depth. The line of Wakefield, Rebecca Johnston and Brianne Jenner has been dominant in Kamloops, combining for 18 points in three games to lead the tournament. But Canada has just one other player — Poulin, who has two goals and an assist — inside the top 20 in tournament scoring. Her linemates, Meghan Agosta and Natalie Spooner, have just one and two points, respectively. Points aside, the line has been exceptional in Kamloops and generated

WELCOME WOMEN’S WORLD IIHF PLAYERS, FANS & FAMILY Herbal One Kamloops Insurance Kinetic Energy Lansdowne Liquor Store London Drugs Mannytan

SCORE!

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN ONE PLACE

Money Mart MW Hair Salon Save On Foods Senor Froggy Spitfire Computers Suds City Car Wash

450 LANSDOWNE STREET KAMLOOPS

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

more chances against Finland than, perhaps, any other Canadian trio. Playing against the tournament’s top lines has played a role, Schuler said, but she added the line has had “a ton” of chances. “We know we’ve got to produce — I think we’re aware of that,” Poulin said. “But I mean, we’ve had a lot of chances, we’ve got to put a lot of pucks on the net. Natalie and Meghan, I know they can score, so it’s just a

matter of time. I’m not worried.” If there was an area of focus for the Canadians yesterday, it was the importance of the first goal against Finland. The Finns seem to thrive off the possibility of an upset, so an early marker, like Poulin scored on Thursday, would go a long way toward extinguishing any hope Finland might have. That’s one area where the Poulin line has impressed, factoring in on Canada’s

1 GIANT PARTY Collect stamps at all 8 locations & be entered to win a once in a lifetime trip to the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship

Drop off your completed passport at any of the 8 Houses for your chance to win. FOR RULES AND REGULATIONS HockeyCanada.ca/Kamloops2016

Downstairs

DAYS HOUSES

Upstairs

THE ROAD TO GOLD

first marker in two of its three games. Maybe another contest against the Finns is exactly what the threesome needs. “The other day against the Finns, they opened up the scoring for us. That’s one thing that we’re looking for that line to do, is get us on the scoreboard right away and they seem to be doing that,” Schuler said. “I do think it’s just a matter of time before those pucks are going to go in for them.”

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

USA VS RUSSIA SEMIFINAL PREVIEW In a rematch of the most lopsided contest of the tournament, the United States will face Russia in today’s afternoon semifinal at Sandman Centre. The Americans defeated the Russians 8-0 on Thursday afternoon. The US is undoubtedly the favourite to advance from the semi to tomorrow’s gold-medal game. The world championship’s only undefeated team, the Americans also picked up victories against the Canadians, 3-1, and the Finns, 2-1, in preliminary round play. Led by Hilary Knight, the defending-champion Americans have been one of the more offensively gifted groups in Kamloops. Knight leads the tournament in goals with five and is ranked fourth in scoring. Monique Lamoureux

has also had a strong tournament, tallying two goals and two assists, with one of her goals coming against the Canadians in the preliminary round opener. In total, The US has outscored its competition 13-2 and has six scorers — more than any other nation — inside the tournament’s top 20. The Russians, meanwhile, failed to pick up a victory in the preliminary round of the world championship. Their only victory in Kamloops this week came in Friday night’s quarterfinal against Group B’s Sweden, 4-1. Iya Gavrilova, the 2016 most valuable player of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, and Olga Sosina have led the Russians offensively in the 2016 world championship, with Gavrilova’s three goals and Sosina’s four points both

team highs. But defensively, it’s hard to imagine the Russians will be able to keep pace with the powerhouse Americans. Russia allowed more goals, 21, than any other team in Kamloops. In the crease, all three goaltenders have seen action in the 2016 world championship and none have a save percentage above 90 per cent, or a goals-against average lower than 4.00. A Russian victory this afternoon would go down as the most unexpected upset in world championship history. The Americans are a good bet to advance to tomorrow’s gold-medal game, while the Russians should be expected to vie for the third bronze medal in their women’s hockey history.

March 31 to April 9, 2016 SAGEBRUSH THEATRE BUY 1 TICKET, GET 1 TICKET 50% OFF! TICKETS: Kamloops Live! Box Ofﬁce

250-374-5483 1025 Lorne Street wctlive.ca

Riverland Inn

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

City of Kamloops

Canada’s Tournament Capital welcomes the IIHF Women’s World Championship

PROUD OUD TO SUPPORT THE IIHF WOMEN’S OMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY TOURNAMENT! WELCOME TEAMS, VISITORS, AND FANS!

LUNCH BUFFET TUESDAY - FRIDAY 11:30AM - 2PM

250-374-0340 610 West Columbia Street mbia St Str re reet (at the Panorama Inn)

The City of Kamloops is pleased to welcome this event to our community! Our city hosts an impressive range of sporting and cultural events that contribute over $10 million to the local economy each year. Continuing to support and invest in the Tournament Capital Program ensures future opportunities for our community, and for the development of sports programs and events to benefit our athletes. These events would not be possible without the support of local volunteers, business, and sponsors. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our sponsors and volunteers, as well as the organizing committee, for all of their hard work making this amazing event become a reality.

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

2016

STANDINGS AT THE END OF PRELIMINARY ROUND PLAY GP

G R O U P A

USA CAN FIN RUS

G R O U P B

SWE CZE SUI

JPN

OTW OTL

PTS

3 3 0 0 0 9

3 2 1 0 0 6

3 1 2 0 0 3

3 0 3 0 0 0

3 1 2 0 1 4

THREE POINT SYSTEM - For all games points shall be awarded as follows: • 3 points for the winning team at the conclusion of regulation time • 1 point for both teams at the conclusion of regulation time if the game is tied • 0 points for the team losing the game in regulation time • An additional point earned for the team winning the game in a 5-minute overtime period, or the game winning shots (shootout)

AWARD-WINNING COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER #1 online news Source KamloopsThisWeek.com Ph: 250-374-7467 • Fax: 250-374-1033 • 1365B Dalhousie Drive

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

2016 SCORING

LEADERS

Player

Pos GP

Pts

JOHNSTON Rebecca F 3 2 5 7 WAKEFIELD Jennifer F 3 3 3 6 HUENI Christine

F 4 3 3 6

KNIGHT Hilary

F 3 5 0 5

NISKANEN Tanja

F 4 3 2 5

JENNER Brianne

VALILA Riikka

KARVINEN Michelle F 4 3 1 4 LAMOUREUX Monique D 3 2 2 4 SOSINA Olga

F 4 2 2 4

Welcome all participants and visitors to the

World Women’s Hockey Championship! Full Service Deli | Hot Meals To Go | Pharmacy | Fresh Produce

Y O U R

I N D E P E N D E N T

G R O C E R

NORTHILLS MALL #49 - 700 Tranquille Rd | Kamloops 250-312-3323 | 8am-10pm Every Day

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

She’s a beauty, eh?

JM Ledet

The players or our Jetta?

You can be proud of what’s under your mouthguard thanks to True Smiles Spa!

Terry Lowe

Kamloops’ DL#5339

Dental Hygiene SPA

Volkswagen of Kamloops 2483 E.Trans Canada Hwy

1.888.874.7500 • volkswagenofkamloops.com

ASK ABOUT CUSTOM MOUTHGUARDS & A BRIGHTER SMILE!

Walk-ins Welcome!

(236) 425-0503 #102 -755 McGill Rd. Kamloops, BC V2C 0B6

Get the results of the

Big On Game the Go The Kamloops This Week news app has everything you need to know about Kamloops at the touch of your fingers. The free app combines all the news, sports, entertainment and opinion you find in KTW’s print edition and online at kamloopsthisweek.com and delivers it to go.

Ph: 250-374-7467• Fax: 250-374-1033 1365B Dalhousie Drive www.kamloopsthisweek.com

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

TEAM FINLAND For 16 years, Finland has been knocking on the door of the gold-medal game at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. In 2016, the Scandanavian country will need to go through Canada to get to it. Finland has played in the bronze-medal game in all 16 world championships since the tournament’s inception in 1990, finishing third a record 11 times. It has won bronze in four of the last six events and will be competing in another medal game when the hardware is handed out in Kamloops tomorrow — the only question is the colour. Include Olympic Winter Games results and the Finns have another two bronze medals to their credit — one from the 2010 Games in Vancouver, another from the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan. The Finns have had contributions

throughout their lineup in Kamloops, with forward Tanja Niskanen’s three goals and two assists leading the club heading into tonight’s semifinal tilt against the Canadians. In the nation’s preliminary round matchup against the United States, which the Finns lost 2-1, it was forward Michelle Karvinen who got her team out to an early 1-0 lead. She is now a close third in team scoring, with three goals and an assist through four games. Karvinen should continue to factor into the offence down the stretch. She led the Finns in scoring in Malmö in 2015, finishing the tournament 11th with two goals and four assists in four games. She was also Finland’s leading scorer in the 2013 world championship. At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Karvinen led the entire tournament in scoring, with five goals and two assists in six games, en route to being named

the best forward at the Games. On the back end, defender Jenni Hiirikoski celebrated her 29th birthday earlier this week and is a leader amongst the Finnish group. Voted an all-star and the tournament’s best defender in Sochi, the three-time best defender at the world championship will be anchoring the blue line in a bid to capture her fifth medal in the annual tournament. She has four points in four games. Between the pipes, Meeri Räisänen has been lights out for the Finns in Kamloops, starring in a 49-save performance against the Americans on Tuesday and keeping Finland close early in their contest against the Canadians. Finland has been especially dangerous on the power play in the 2016 world championship, boasting the tournament’s best success rate (37.5 per cent) heading into the semifinals.

Chef David Tombs takes the freshest local, organic & sustainable ingredients and

Remarkable. R eRemarkable. markable.

crafts something truly

WELCOME WORLD WOMEN’S IIHF CHAMPIONSHIP

250.374.2913 • 326 VICTORIA ST. C H E F D AV I D T O M B S RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

OPEN DAILY FROM 5:00PM, MON-SAT

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

CHINESE RESTAURANT

Kamloops’ Best Chinese Food!

PROUDLY SERVING 2 LOCATIONS | FULLY LICENSED | FOR GROUPS BIG OR SMALL Dim Sum Every Sunday • 11:30—2:30 at the North Shore Location

778-471-3889

1820 Rogers Place (Comfort Inn) SOUTH SHORE

778-470-5789

755 Tranquille Rd, Kamloops NORTH SHORE

Get the results of the

Ph: 250-374-7467• Fax: 250-374-1033 1365B Dalhousie Drive www.kamloopsthisweek.com

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

TODAY IS THE SECOND-LAST DAY OF THE 2016 WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP It features two semifinal games at Sandman Centre: The U.S. and Russia at 3 p.m. and Canada and Finland at 7:30 p.m. The day also features the battle for fifth and sixth at the tourney as Sweden faces off against the Czech Republic at 5 p.m. on McArthur Island. The two squads lost their quarterfinal games on Friday. During the preliminary round, Sweden and the Czech Republic played each other on opening day, with the Swedes prevailing 3-2 on Olivia Carlsson’s goal with only eight seconds left in the third period.

Also on the schedule today is Game 2 of the best-of-three relegation series between Switzerland and Japan, with the Swiss up 1-0. The teams play on McArthur Island at 1 p.m., with Game 3, if necessary, set for noon on McArthur tomorrow. The loser of the series will be sent back to the Division 1 Group A next year, to be replaced by Germany, which won this year’s tourney in Denmark to earn promotion to the main world championship tournament, which will be held in Plymouth, Mass., next year.

We won’t be able to fix BROKEN BONES, ONES,

BUT we can certainly fix your our BROKEN WINDSHIELD LD

own! ROCK CHIPS while you are in town! #105-1285 McGill Road, Kamloops, BC V2C 6K7 Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:00, Saturday by appointment

250-374-1196

www.familyglass.ca

WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

PLAYER BIO

JILLIAN

SAULNIER POSITION HEIGHT WEIGHT AGE HOME TOWN CURRENT TEAM

FORWARD 5-FOOT-5 143 LBS. 25 YEARS HALIFAX CALGARY INFERNO (CWHL)

Jillian Saulnier can remember the exact moment she knew she wanted to play hockey for Team Canada. There’s a photo of it, actually, a 10-year-old Saulnier perched in front of the television, holding up her index finger — “Canada is No. 1” — with the Olympic women’s hockey team on the screen in the background, celebrating their gold-medal victory at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do, wear that jersey one day, especially in front of Canada,” Saulnier said, recalling the moment earlier this week. The 24-year-old Saulnier is playing in her second world championship with Canada’s senior national team in Kamloops — her first the 2015 tournament in Malmö, Sweden, in which Canada won a silver medal. She was also a part of the Canadian squad that won a gold medal in Kamloops in the 2014 4 Nations Cup. The speedy winger is part of the youth movement on Team Canada’s senior national team — the generation that will wear the Maple Leaf for the next half-decade or more. In Kamloops this week, she has notched a goal and two assists through her first three games, putting in regular time on what might be called Canada’s third line. Saulnier, like many of her Canadian teammates, was inspired by Hayley Wickenheiser to pick up a hockey stick. It was at a hockey camp in Halifax more than 10 years ago where Wickenheiser told a young Saulnier that if she worked hard enough, maybe they could be linemates one day. In 2015-2016, while playing her club hockey with the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL, Saulnier skated alongside her childhood hero for the first time. “I was always a huge Wickenheiser fan,” Saulnier said, recalling the moment in Halifax. “I grew up, she

was always my idol and always the girl I looked up to and the player I looked up to both on and off the ice. “To be able to have that motivation to be like her and play with her one day, definitely fuelled my fire to get here today.” Saulnier played her collegiate hockey at Cornell University — like her teammate Rebecca Johnston — and racked up the accolades. She was named the Ivy League rookie of the year, the Eastern College Athletic Conference rookie of the year, a perennial all-star and a top three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top female college hockey player in the United States. Still, despite all her success and having played in the world championship before, there’s a bit of disbelief in Saulnier at the idea of wearing the Maple Leaf. “It’s just surreal to be amongst some of the best hockey players in the world. To wear the Canada logo in front of a home crowd is surreal, that’s the word I would use,” she said. “It has been so exciting. The fans are great and the support from across Canada is amazing. This group of girls is so special.” Being a young hockey player who was inspired by a member of the national team in her youth, Saulnier has tried to give back to players in her hometown. She has started a hockey camp in Nova Scotia and tries to motivate the next generation, using girls who have achieved the dream to inspire those working toward it. There’s undoubtedly a player or two in Halifax who hopes to one day be playing on a line with Jillian Saulnier. “I think that’s part of our duties as well, as older players and players who are achieving those dreams, is to pass along our experiences to younger players, so that generation gets to live the dream we are today,” Saulnier said.

We are OK with Women bringing FIRE to the ice - but we put it out everywhere else! FIRE PROTECTION // TRAFFIC EQUIPMENT // FIRST AID KITS // SAFETY + HI VIS GEAR

Toll Free 1-866-277-2888

KAMLOOPS 250-828-2888 KELOWNA 250-860-8892

// 4 - 953 Laval Crescent, Kamloops BC V2C 5P4 // 180 -1855 Kirschner Rd, Kelowna BC V1Y 4N7

DAY 6|APRIL 3, 2016

SUN PEAKS RESORT PRESENTS

Friday, july 8: summer concert weekend

EVENT AND TICKET PACKAGE INFORMATION:

SunPeaksResort.com/SamRobertsBand Connect with Our Community

CIRCULATION CIRCULATION IS EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING YOU ARE ONLY AS OLD YOU ARE ARTERIES ONLY AS OLD AS YOUR AS YOUR ARTERIES

LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD Your deliver life to LIFE arteries IS IN THE BLOOD

every area, every organ Your arteries deliver life and to every cell of oxygenated area, every organ and blood. If your arterial health every cell of oxygenated is suffering, you are suffering. blood. If your arterial health is suffering, you are suffering. www.straussnaturals.com www.straussnaturals.com

Now Available at Nu Leaf Produce Market Now Available at Nu Leaf Produce Market 740 FORTUNE DRIVE, KAMLOOPS 740 FORTUNE DRIVE, KAMLOOPS

250-376-8618 250-376-8618

w w w.nuleafproducemarket.com w w w.nuleafproducemarket.com

LIKE US!

nuleafmarket LIKE US! nuleafmarket