So many observers got requested Raty to get a final Wintertime Games hurrah
Finland goes into the fresh new 2022 Olympic ladies’ hockey tournament as shielding bronze medalists off both the 2018 Winter season Video game inside South Korea together with 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Ladies World Championship within the Canada. Audio pretty straightforward, proper? But there is however so much more right here than just matches the eye on the Nordic country one to sits third regarding the IIHF Ladies Community Ranks.
This is a team in the transition less than Pasi Mustonen, who will act as direct advisor at his second and you will past Olympics. Youth is actually front side and you may heart. The brand new Beijing roster, revealed toward 20 January, keeps an astonishing 13 Olympic very first-timers, and 7 skaters created following season 2000.
It’s very much like the group that strike the frost in Calgary in August, but the exception from goalie Noora Raty – a several-time Olympian whom backstopped Finland in order to tan in both 2010 and you may 2018 and a most likely coming IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies because the an excellent shocker.
Raty, 32, clashed that have Mustonen in public areas last year whenever she decided on to operate her hockey college during the Minnesota in the place of get in on the Women’s Worlds people. Nonetheless, the new tenacious and you can competent experienced starred for HPK Hameenlinna this year, was acceptance for the Olympic studies camp, along with currently wanted to rejoin new Russian Ladies’ Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Light just after beautiful women of Batam in Indonesia Beijing.
Mustonen, regardless if, is validate their debatable choice by the pointing to Anni Keisala’s higher efficiency in the Calgary. The new twenty four-year-dated Ilves netminder – good positionally sound, chill battler – is named Better Goalie and you can a competition most of the-celebrity at Ladies’ Worlds (step one.43 GAA, 94.8 save yourself commission, one or two shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, 32, provides a capable alternative, whilst veteran of five Women’s Planets don’t enjoy from the her a couple early in the day Olympics (2014, 2018).
New billion-dollar question for you is whether sometimes Keisala otherwise Raisanen is capable of duplicating the fresh wonders Raty shown at the records-and work out cost the latest gold medal during the 2019 Ladies Planets when you look at the Espoo. Truth be told there, Raty made 43 conserves in the an effective cuatro-dos semi-final distressed more than Canada plus one 50 preserves from the debatable 2-1 gold-medal shootout loss into the People in the us.
In the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), exactly who, including Raisanen, sat toward sidelines on both 2014 and you can 2018 Video game, nabs the 3rd goalie location. She changes Jenna Silvonen, brand new 23-year-old Mercyhurst College netminder whom spotted during the Calgary.
Chief Jenni Hiirikoski headlines the Finnish blueline. Titled Ideal Defender at the past a couple Olympics and you may eight Ladies Planets, this new quick-skating 34-year-dated superstar takes on in just about any problem. Hiirikoski averaged a contest-a lot of freeze amount of time in Calgary. Most other key every-around blueliners are Hiirikoski’s powerful Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and you may Minttu Tuominen, that will register Raty and you can submit Susanna Tapani with the Vanke Rays immediately after Beijing.
Stunning finnish females
A notable blueline omission is actually 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, a great three-big date Olympian whom captains Brynas Gavle however, try slowed because of the wounds in 2010. One to sets brand new onus into the around three young Kiekko-Espoo defenders to send next-top several-means performances.
Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and you can Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), both 19, rating step 1-dos in the scoring certainly one of Naisten Liiga defenders, while you are Ella Viitasuo, 25, (16+24=40) is third. It Olympics marks Rantala’s elder-level IIHF first. That it trio’s power to endure the fresh new forechecking of your North american superpowers could well be pivotal.
Offensively, there is no concern the top submit distinctive line of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you may Michelle Karvinen often head the way.
The latest explosive Nieminen, twenty two, provided the new Ladies Globes having half a dozen goals en route to a keen all-superstar group berth. The brand new Lulea winger are 2nd inside SDHL rating (24+28=52) at the rear of Brynas Gavle’s Swiss celebrity Lara Stalder. Tapani – a gifted runner exactly who and dominates in the world from inside the inline hockey and ringette – will aim together with her playmaking feel to get more requirements aside from Karvinen, an other veteran just who broken within the half a dozen assists however, didn’t light the fresh new red light on 2021 Women’s Globes.
Karvinen, 29, try entering the woman next Olympics and provided brand new 2014 tournament when you look at the Sochi which have four desires. Brand new Danish-Finnish fuel submit has actually occupied the net for the ten online game having Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) throughout the Swedish first department this present year.
Next, the fresh new margin between earn and overcome against Canada in addition to You.S. will likely hinge about precisely how far secondary scoring Mustonen becomes. Into the Calgary, the Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-3 in the opener, because the You.S. blanked Finland step three-0 in the team phase additionally the semi-finals.
Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), bidding in order to winnings the girl third straight Naisten Liiga rating label, had the girl lone Ladies Worlds objective facing Canada. Gritty Lulea submit Viivi Vainikka’s just objective try the very last that inside the a good six-0 romp over Switzerland. Lulea seasoned Noora Tulus, a several-time Swedish champ, possess place another type of personal field SDHL filled with needs that it seasons (18), however, hasn’t obtained when you look at the IIHF competition because 2017 Women’s Worlds. All of these ahead need to make significantly more in the Beijing.
Rating regarding precocious 16-year-dated Sanni Vanhanen, which potted the fresh new step 1-0 quarter-finally champ against Czechia for the Calgary, might be a beautiful incentive. The newest Finns can also expect rate and you can a beneficial checking from the enjoys regarding Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you may 2nd-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.
The fresh new Finns has clearly split on their own of Class An opponents like brand new ROC team and you may Switzerland. This new Russians last made a keen IIHF podium on 2016 Women’s Globes bronze medal, as Swiss have not obtained people material because the stunning 2014 Olympic tan medal into the Sochi. It will be possible one to Czechia, that has pushed Finland tough in two successive Ladies’ Planets quarter-finals today, will get twist the most significant counterthreat having 3rd lay.
To possess Mustonen’s team, things below profitable their state’s fourth Olympic bronze medal out-of in history inside Beijing is a major disappointment. Yet putting some Olympic last for the first time of them all looks like a lengthy test. In either case, it will likely be another essential step in the newest Finnish federal team’s maturation process.
Roster
Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, School regarding Vermont (NCAA) Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo Ronja Savolainen, Lulea Gavle (SWE) Minnamari Tuominen, Kiekko-Espoo Ella Viitasuo, Kiekko-Espoo
Forward 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 County (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Group Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Radiation (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo
