Sochi 2014: Womens Results Semi Finals

USA v Sweden 6-1 - In 2010, the United States thrashed Sweden 9-1 en route to earning a silver medal. Four years later, the chasm between the two countries' women's hockey programs remains. Megan Bozek and Brianna Decker each scored three points (a goal and two assists apiece), and 10 Americans scored at least one point as the United States advanced to the gold-medal round with a 6-1 blowout victory over Sweden on Monday. The United States will face rivals Canada, who beat Switzerland 3-1 in its semifinal matchup. The Americans will have a chance to not only atone for its 2010 gold-medal defeat but also its collapse earlier in Sochi. Interestingly placed in the same group, Canada and the United States faced off last Wednesday in a possible gold-medal preview. The U.S. held a 1-0 lead through the first two periods but watched as Canada scored three goals in the third to earn a 3-2 victory. It was an uncharacteristically poor defensive performance from the United States and should lead to a motivated squad heading into Wednesday.

Hilary Knight said: We didn’t play Team USA-style hockey. That was evident in the film that we watched and it was painful at times. You’re watching yourself and thinking, "Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I did that." It was so uncharacteristic of what we’ve been working towards the last few months. It was a reminder of what we did and where we need to be and what we need to do.

Coming out with an aggressive, attacking style from the opening puck drop, it did not take long for the United States to control the pace. Alex Carpenter netted the game's first goal on a power play at the 6:10 mark of the first period, and Kacey Bellamy added another a minute later. By the end of the first period, the U.S. had a commanding 3-0 lead, and Bozek and Decker had two assists apiece. It ultimately wouldn't have affected the result, but Sweden might have come closer if it had done a better job of avoiding penalties. The Swedes earned three penalties in a four-minute span, leaving the already undermanned roster to scramble throughout. The United States out-shot Sweden 29-1 in the first, as the underdogs could barely even hold on to the puck long enough to form a cogent attack. Rules forced the teams to play all three periods, however, and it was soon apparent Arthur's sentiment would play out. A Pernilla Winberg interference penalty led to a Monique Lamoureux power-play goal at 5:41 in the second period, assisted by her twin sister Jocelyne Lamoureux. Bozek netted a full-strength goal to make it 5-0 at 12:17, leading to Sweden pulling goaltender Valentina Lizana Wallner. While she let five shots go into net, the semifinal was ultimately an admirable performance from the Swedish goaltender. Wallner faced 47 shots in less than two full periods, consistently diving and sprawling and watching her defenders get into poor position. By the time Kim Martin Hasson replaced Wallner, it was obvious the United States' pace and aggression left the Swedes exhausted.

The Americans played out the rest of the second scoreless, ultimately taking their foot off the pedal heading into the intermission. With a five-goal lead and Sweden unable to match up athletically, it was merely about playing out the final 20 minutes. Whether it was due to a lack of intensity from the United States or Swedish pride, the third period was far and away the most competitive. Sweden came out on the attack in the opening moments for a rare goal-scoring opportunity and tightened up its defense, with the Americans swinging the puck around the blue line more than they had the first two periods. With time draining down, the Swedes got their first triumph of the game. Amid a scrum near the net, Anna Borgqvist sent through their first goal to make it 5-1. Emma Eliasson and Pernilla Winberg received points for their assists. The good times kept rolling a little later in the period when Jocelyne Lamoureux earned a penalty shot. Lamoureux swept around with a beautiful, twisting backhand shot attempt, but Martin Hasson stayed at home and stuck her leg out for the unlikely save. After taking over for Wallner, she performed admirably to stop 22 of the 23 shots that went her way. The only one that went into the Swedish net wasn't even her fault. Decker drilled a one-time shot past Martin Hasson that went ricocheting off the post, but Sweden's Emilia Andersson accidentally knocked it into the goal at the 16:58 mark to finalize the score. Overall, the United States will look to take more away from the first two periods than the last. This was a wholly expected and assumed domination, but the third period highlights this team's propensity to take its foot off the gas. Against an overmatched team like Sweden, that mind set can work. If the third-period intensity shows up against Canada (or Switzerland), though, the U.S. will walk away disappointed with silver for the second straight Olympics.

Canada v Switzerland 3-1 - In an exciting semifinals women’s ice hockey matchup at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Team Canada defeated Team Switzerland by a score of 3-1 on Monday at the Shayba Arena. The Canadians earned a place in the gold-medal game against Team USA after the Americans were able to defeat Team Sweden, 6-1, earlier in the day. The gold-medal battle between Team Canada and Team USA is the ideal culmination of the women’s ice hockey tournament and the matchup many fans always wanted to see. The first period started fast for Team Canada, racking up three goals in the first 11:33 of the contest. Forward Natalie Spooner added the first two goals for her team and Melodie Daoust added the third goal. The Canadians amassed 16 shots in the first period as opposed to Switzerland’s six total shots, and the team continued that dominance in the second period with 22 shots compared to the Swiss’ seven. The main difference in the second period was Switzerland’s goaltender Florence Schelling. Despite the team being utterly dismantled in the offensive and defensive ends at times, the veteran netminder racked up saves at key moments. Swiss star Jessica Lutz also added a goal to make the score 3-1 and keep the third period interesting. Following the same vein as the second period, the third was a hard-fought defensive battle that was highlighted by the elite play of Schelling. Canada went on to outshoot the Swiss 48-22 during this matchup.

Canadian forward Gillian Apps said: In the semifinals of an Olympic tournament, you never want to underestimate your opponent. For us, it's just really important to try and put together a full 60 minutes. I don't think we've done that yet in the tournament. That's a huge thing for us and if we can do that tonight, I think we'll be feeling a bit better about going into the final if we win.

Now that Team Canada has secured its place in the gold-medal game on Thursday at Noon ET against the United States, the anticipation over the rematch from group play will have the hockey world buzzing. Everyone wants to see if Team USA will avenge its loss or if Canada can yet again take home women’s gold. The Americans lost 3-2 to the Canadians in the preliminary stage and will be looking for a win in an even more important matchup. It will be the ultimate battle of the two best teams in the tournament. As for Switzerland, the team will go on to play Sweden in the bronze-medal matchup on Thursday at 7 a.m. ET. Both teams lost in the semifinals, but each possesses the raw talent and depth to make this an ideal third-place battle. With the perfect gold-medal matchup between Team USA and Team Canada and an intriguing bronze-medal matchup between the Swiss and Sweden, the women’s tournament is living up to the expectations and hype many fans put upon it prior to the start of the Winter Games.