2010-11 National Women's Team

FINDLAND EDGES SWEDEN FOR FOUR NATIONS CUP
by Stephen C. Samson
 

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The Finns fought their way to bronze Saturday afternoon in St. John's, pulling out all the stops to clear the puck out of their zone and put as much offensive pressure on the Swedes as possible. In the end, Finland edged Sweden 2-1 in the first medal game of the day.

Fans in the stands watched in suspense as the two European rival teams battled it out on the ice.
But it would be the Finns to light up the lamp first three minutes into the game, when after a small struggle in front of the net forward Karoliina Rantamäk slipped it past the Swedish goal line to make it 1-0.

The action was back-and-forth, up-and-down and started getting gritty. When Sweden’s Erica Udén Johansson of Sweden was shoved hard into the net, the referees called it a penalty and gave her a chance to tie it up for her team. But Johansson was unable to capitalize on the penalty shot and the score remained in Finland’s favour.

And it would continue that way through the rest of the period, with Annina Rajahuhta making it 2-0 for Finland just before the intermission.

Players exchanged penalties instead of goals throughout the second, although the puck still managed to fly from stick-to-stick, with a few quick shots denied at either end by outstanding goaltending.

Sweden finally got on the scoreboard in the third, when Pernilla Winber tipped it in to make it 2-1.  But that would be her team’s only goal of the game, and just its second goal of the tournament.

Where time to score lacked for Sweden, motivation did not. The Swedes played hard, but ultimately ran out of time, with the bronze medals being placed around the necks of an ecstatic Finnish squad. Finland also won bronze at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

Player of the game honours went to Annina Rajahuhta of Finland and Erika Grahm from Sweden.
 

Penalties:
   13:08 FIN 15 Minttu Tuominen (Bodychecking)

Penalties:
   02:56 SWE 24 Erika Grahm (Interference)
   04:41 SWE 13 Erica Uden Johansson (Hooking)
   06:32 FIN 11 Annina Rajahuhta (Hooking)
   11:28 SWE 6 Johanna Malmström (Tripping)

Penalties:
   16:09 SWE 16 Pernilla Winberg (Hooking)