2016-17 National Women's Development Team

CANADA BLANKED BY FINNS IN NATIONS CUP FINAL

JASON LA ROSE

FÜSSEN, Germany – Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Calgary, CWHL) turned aside 17 of the 18 shots she faced, but Canada’s National Women’s Development Team was left with the silver medal at the 2017 Nations Cup after a 1-0 loss to Finland in the gold medal game Saturday.

Canada has won now silver twice at the Nations Cup (2009, 2017) and is a 11-time gold medallist, winning in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. It also took bronze in 2012.

After an evenly-matched first period, Finland struck for the only goal of the game early in the second; with the Finns on the power play, Emma Nuutinen set up Michelle Karvinen to make it 1-0.

That would be all the offence Finland would need thanks to goaltender Noora Raty. The three-time recipient of Top Goaltender honours at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2007, 2008, 2011) stopped all 27 shots she faced to record the shutout.

The Canadians failed to convert on seven power-play opportunities and outshot Finland 27-18, including 10-2 in the third period as they pressed for the game-tying goal.

Victoria Bach (Milton, Ont,/Boston University, HE) finished as the top Canadian scorer; her five points (two goals, three assists) were one better than Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./University of Wisconsin, WCHA) and Jaime Bourbonnais (Mississauga, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC), and left her seventh in tournament scoring.