Finland enters the 2022 Olympic women’s hockey tournament because safeguarding bronze medalists out of both the 2018 Winter Game inside Southern area Korea additionally the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Ladies’ Globe Tournament inside Canada. Musical rather quick, proper? But there’s even more right here than matches the attention to your Nordic country you to is third about IIHF Ladies’ World Positions.
This is certainly a team within the transition below Pasi Mustonen, that will act as lead mentor at the his 2nd and history Olympics. Youngsters was front side and you will center. This new Beijing lineup, revealed towards 20 January, has actually a massive 13 Olympic basic-timers, also eight skaters produced adopting the seasons 2000.
It is rather similar to the squad you to definitely strike the freeze inside the Calgary from inside the August, although exclusion from goalie Noora Raty – a several-go out Olympian exactly who backstopped Finland to tan both in 2010 and you may 2018 and you can a probably coming IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies because the a good shocker.
Raty, 32, clashed that have Mustonen publicly this past year whenever she picked to operate this lady hockey college inside Minnesota unlike join the Ladies Worlds team. However, the newest tenacious and you will competent seasoned played having HPK Hameenlinna in 2010, is greet towards Olympic training go camping, along with already offered to rejoin the fresh new Russian Ladies Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Rays shortly after Beijing.
Mustonen, even in the event, is also validate his controversial choice from the pointing so you can Anni Keisala’s high show when you look at the Calgary. The fresh new 24-year-old Ilves netminder – a great positionally voice, cool battler – are entitled Most useful Goalie and you may a contest most of the-superstar from the Ladies Worlds (1.43 GAA, 94.8 conserve commission, a couple shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, thirty two, brings a competent alternative, whilst seasoned of five Ladies Globes didn’t play within this lady a kissbrides.com press the link right now couple of earlier in the day Olympics (2014, 2018).
This new million-money question for you is if or not sometimes Keisala otherwise Raisanen can perform replicating this new magic Raty presented within background-and then make cost brand new gold medal within 2019 Ladies’ Globes from inside the Espoo. Indeed there, Raty generated 43 conserves inside the a great 4-2 semi-latest troubled more Canada and another 50 conserves from the questionable 2-step one gold-medal shootout losings towards People in the us.
Into the Beijing, 26-year-dated Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), which, instance Raisanen, sat towards sidelines in the both 2014 and you may 2018 Games, nabs the next goalie room. She changes Jenna Silvonen, the 23-year-dated Mercyhurst University netminder just who noticed in the Calgary.
Captain Jenni Hiirikoski statements the new Finnish blueline. Called Most readily useful Defender from the history a couple of Olympics and you may 7 Ladies’ Planets, the newest swift-skating 34-year-dated superstar performs in almost any problem. Hiirikoski averaged a tournament-high of freeze amount of time in Calgary. Most other trick all the-to blueliners include Hiirikoski’s robust Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and Minttu Tuominen, that will sign-up Raty and you can give Susanna Tapani to your Vanke Radiation shortly after Beijing.
Breathtaking finnish female
A noteworthy blueline omission is actually 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, good three-time Olympian which captains Brynas Gavle but try slowed down from the injuries in 2010. That places brand new onus with the three more youthful Kiekko-Espoo defenders to transmit next-top one or two-means shows.
Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and you can Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), each other 19, score 1-dos inside the rating among Naisten Liiga defenders, while Ella Viitasuo, twenty five, (16+24=40) are 3rd. This Olympics scratches Rantala’s elder-peak IIHF introduction. That it trio’s capability to resist the new forechecking of Us superpowers could well be pivotal.
Offensively, there is absolutely no question the major give collection of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you may Michelle Karvinen have a tendency to head ways.
New volatile Nieminen, twenty-two, added the newest Ladies Globes that have half a dozen requires on the way in order to an enthusiastic all-superstar party berth. The brand new Lulea winger is actually 2nd for the SDHL rating (24+28=52) at the rear of Brynas Gavle’s Swiss star Lara Stalder. Tapani – a talented athlete whom together with reigns over internationally within the inline hockey and you may ringette – have a tendency to point along with her playmaking experience to get more goals aside out-of Karvinen, an other experienced which cracked when you look at the half a dozen helps but didn’t light the fresh new red light during the 2021 Women’s Worlds.
Karvinen, 29, is actually entering the girl last Olympics and you will added the fresh new 2014 tournament in the Sochi which have five desires. The new Danish-Finnish strength send enjoys occupied the web for the 10 game with Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) in the Swedish basic section this current year.
Then, the brand new margin anywhere between earn and you can defeat up against Canada and also the You.S. will likely count about how much supplementary scoring Mustonen will get. From inside the Calgary, the latest Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-step three on opener, since You.S. blanked Finland 3-0 in both the team stage and semi-finals.
Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid to help you earn the woman third upright Naisten Liiga scoring title, had the girl solitary Ladies Globes purpose facing Canada. Gritty Lulea send Viivi Vainikka’s just purpose is actually the last you to definitely from inside the good six-0 romp more Switzerland. Lulea experienced Noora Tulus, a four-go out Swedish winner, have set an alternate private industry SDHL filled with requirements which season (18), but has not scored from inside the IIHF competition because the 2017 Ladies Worlds. Each one of these forwards need to write far more within the Beijing.
Scoring from precocious 16-year-old Sanni Vanhanen, exactly who potted the new 1-0 one-fourth-last champ facing Czechia from inside the Calgary, was a beautiful extra. The newest Finns also can anticipate rates and you may a beneficial checking about loves from Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you will next-timer Sanni Hakala.
The new Finns features obviously split up by themselves regarding Class An opponents like the fresh ROC team and you may Switzerland. New Russians last made an IIHF podium towards 2016 Ladies Globes bronze medal, just like the Swiss haven’t claimed people metal because alarming 2014 Olympic tan medal inside the Sochi. You’ll be able one Czechia, with pressed Finland hard in two successive Ladies’ Planets quarter-finals today, get perspective the largest counterthreat having 3rd set.
Having Mustonen’s staff, things lower than profitable its nation’s next Olympic tan medal out-of in history inside Beijing would-be a primary dissatisfaction. Yet making the Olympic last the very first time at this moment seems like an extended test. In any event, it is another important part of the newest Finnish federal team’s growth process.
Lineup
Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, School 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, Lulea HF (SWE) Tanja Niskanen, KalPa Kuopio Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud State (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Group Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Light (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo