Finland enters the 2022 Olympic ladies’ hockey event given that shielding bronze medalists out of both the 2018 Winter Games in Southern area Korea as well as the 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Ladies’ Industry Title inside the Canada. Music very easy, correct? But there is however alot more here than just suits the interest towards Nordic country you to sits third about IIHF Ladies Community Positions.
It is a group into the change less than Pasi Mustonen, that will act as direct advisor at the his second and you will past Olympics. Youthfulness was front and you may middle. Brand new Beijing lineup, launched toward 20 January, provides a whopping thirteen Olympic earliest-timers, including eight skaters produced after the season 2000.
It is very much like the squad one to smack the frost during the Calgary into the August, but the exception of goalie Noora Raty – a several-date Olympian which backstopped Finland so you can tan in 2010 and 2018 and a likely coming IIHF Hall-of-famer – qualifies given that a good shocker.
Raty, thirty-two, clashed with Mustonen in public this past year when she select to perform her hockey university from inside the Minnesota in the place of join the Women’s Globes people. Nevertheless, the newest tenacious and you may competent experienced starred having HPK Hameenlinna this year, are allowed into the Olympic studies camp, along with currently wanted to rejoin new Russian Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Rays once Beijing.
Mustonen, regardless of if, normally validate their debatable decision from the directing to Anni Keisala’s great abilities in the Calgary. The new twenty four-year-dated Ilves netminder – a good positionally voice, cool battler – was titled Best Goalie and you may an event all the-superstar in the Ladies’ Worlds (1.43 GAA, 94.8 conserve commission, a couple shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, thirty-two, will bring a competent option, as the veteran of 5 Ladies Planets failed to enjoy on this lady a few earlier in the day Olympics (2014, 2018).
This new mil-dollars real question is whether or not possibly Keisala or Raisanen is capable of duplicating the fresh wonders Raty displayed within background-making run to the new gold medal at 2019 Women’s Globes in Espoo. Around, Raty generated 43 saves into the an excellent cuatro-dos partial-latest disturb over Canada and something fifty preserves on the debatable 2-step 1 silver-medal shootout loss toward People in america.
Into the Beijing, 26-year-dated Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), exactly who, for example Raisanen, sat into the sidelines during the the 2014 and you will 2018 Game, nabs the third goalie place. She replaces Jenna Silvonen, the 23-year-dated Mercyhurst College netminder whom spotted in Calgary.
Captain Jenni Hiirikoski statements this new Finnish blueline. Entitled Most readily useful Defender from the past one or two Olympics and you can seven Ladies Globes, the brand new swift-skating 34-year-dated movie star performs in almost any situation. Hiirikoski averaged a contest-high of ice time in Calgary. Most other key every-as much as blueliners are Hiirikoski’s powerful Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and Minttu Tuominen, that will sign-up Raty and submit Susanna Tapani into Vanke Radiation after Beijing.
Gorgeous finnish women
A distinguished blueline omission was 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, an excellent around three-date Olympian whom captains Brynas Gavle however, was slowed down by injuries this present year. That sets this new onus on the around three young Kiekko-Espoo defenders to transmit second-height a couple-way performances.
Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and you may Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), one another 19, rank 1-dos for the scoring among Naisten Liiga defenders, when you’re Ella Viitasuo, 25, (16+24=40) try 3rd. So it Olympics marks Rantala’s senior-top IIHF first. So it trio’s capability to withstand the newest forechecking of Us superpowers might possibly be crucial.
Offensively, there’s no concern the top submit line of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and Michelle Karvinen commonly head the way in which.
The explosive Nieminen, twenty-two, contributed the fresh Women’s Planets that have six requirements en route to an all-celebrity team berth. New Lulea winger is actually 2nd in SDHL scoring (24+28=52) about Brynas Gavle’s Swiss celebrity Lara Stalder. Tapani – a skilled athlete whom as well as dominates all over the world during the inline hockey and you will ringette – will aim together playmaking feel for lots more specifications away off Karvinen, a fellow veteran just who chipped inside the six helps however, failed to light the newest red light within 2021 Women’s Worlds.
Karvinen, 30, try typing this lady last Olympics and led brand new 2014 competition in Sochi which have five requirements. The fresh Danish-Finnish strength pass enjoys filled the web during the ten video game with Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) regarding the Swedish first section this year.
Then, this new margin between profit and you will defeat against Canada while the You.S. will likely depend about how precisely much additional scoring Mustonen will get. For the Calgary, brand new Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-3 about opener, once the You.S. blanked Finland 3-0 in the team stage therefore the partial-finals.
Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid in order to winnings the woman third straight Naisten Liiga scoring label, got the lady solitary Ladies Globes purpose up against Canada. Gritty Lulea give Viivi Vainikka’s merely purpose are the last that in the a six-0 romp more than Switzerland. Lulea veteran Noora Tulus, a several-date Swedish champ, has put an alternate personal job SDHL saturated in goals so it season (18), however, has never scored inside IIHF battle as the 2017 Ladies Planets. All of these forward need to create way more during the Beijing.
Scoring off precocious sixteen-year-old Sanni Vanhanen, who potted new step 1-0 one-fourth-final champion against Czechia in Calgary, is a gorgeous incentive. The Finns may expect rate and you may good examining on the wants from Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you may 2nd-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.
Brand new Finns enjoys certainly split by themselves out-of Group An opponents for example the newest ROC class and you may Switzerland. The fresh new Russians last made an enthusiastic IIHF podium into 2016 Ladies Worlds bronze medal, due to the fact Swiss haven’t acquired one material once the shocking 2014 Olympic bronze medal inside the Sochi. It’s possible you to definitely Czechia, with pressed Finland difficult in two successive Ladies’ Planets quarter-finals now, get angle the most significant counterthreat to own third place.
To possess Mustonen’s crew, some thing lower than profitable the state’s last Olympic bronze medal off in history for the Beijing might be a major frustration. But really deciding to make the Olympic finally for the first time in history looks like an extended try. In any event, it should be another important step up the new Finnish national team’s growth procedure.
Lineup
Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, College or university away from New york (NCAA) Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo Ronja Savolainen, Lulea Gavle (SWE) Minnamari Tuominen, Kiekko-Espoo Ella Viitasuo, Kiekko-Espoo
Ahead Sanni Hakala, HV71 Jonkoping (SWE) Elisa Holopainen, Kiekko-Espoo Michelle Karvinen, Malmo Redhawks (SWE) Julia Liikala, HIFK Helsinki Petra Nieminen, kissbrides.com have a glance at the weblink Lulea HF (SWE) Tanja Niskanen, KalPa Kuopio Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud County (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Team Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Rays (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo