Women’s Worlds 2021: Canada, USA set up Showdown for Gold
During the semi-final of the 2021 IIHF World Championship, Mélodie Daoust scored two goals, and Ann-Renée Desbiens scored 10 saves, as Canada beat Switzerland in 4-0 victory, Monday night.
The victory is scheduled for Tuesday night at 7 p.m. versus the United States. In their half-finals, the Americans beat Finland 3-0 earlier. In her shutout, Nicole Hensley made 14 saves.
The Canadians began well and in the opening 7 minutes of the game again scoring 1:38 apart with Renata Fast and Daoust. In the first quarter Switzerland was outshot 20-2 and overall was outshot 65-10. She made 61 saves in a big effort, Swiss goalkeeper Andrea Brändli.
Switzerland is going to play the bronze medal in Finland.
"[Brändli is] an enormous portion of why it's just4-0," said captain Lara Stalder in Switzerland. "We must look ahead, rest well as tomorrow's bronze medal game."
In the second period Daoust scored her second goal of the game, in a Marie-Philip Poulin shot that struck her skate, got up in the air before rebounding into the net.
The tournament is led by Daoust with six goals and six assists in six games. The second goal of the competition was Rebecca Johnston's score, with just three minutes left.
Daoust was recognized one of Canada's best players in the competition and shared with her son Mathéo a memorable moment after the match. She could not be near him since the squad was in a bubble at that event, and before that, the team was camping in Calgary.
"It was too lengthy," remarked Daoust of her son's time away. "We were here in Calgary for 40+ days. It was certainly a struggle, but I am glad that I was among my buddies. He is why I'm here and I'd want to show him you can make it if you have a dream. He'll be proud of me, I hope."
It will also be Daoust's first gold medal game, after participating in two Olympics. She had to settle for bronze in 2019, her maiden World Championship. Injuries and other choices on the roster meant that she constantly looked outside.
She said, "It's incredible. "It was an extended journey, many injury ups and downs [...] It will mean the world. The globe. We waited this moment." This time we waited.
Canada is taking 5-1 round robin victory against America, but two teams are going to look forward to improving for the gold medal game on Tuesday.
"We've got some positive things from that game, but we want to improve a lot," Canadian lead coach Troy Ryan stated. "We hope they will be better, and we anticipate that we will be better so that it will be a nice match."
The Olympic Committee will meet Japan to finish in fifth position in the 2023 World Championship in Group A and will also play for both bronze and gold medals.
