Finland keeps top spot in Group B
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Loading... - Claire Lavigne
- 12 Apr 2023
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Fighting for the coveted top spot in Group B, Finland and Germany met at the Women's World Championship for the first time in six years on Friday, with Finland taking the win 3-0. This game marked significant milestones for two players, with Jenni Hiirikoski playing in her 400th game for Finland and Laura Kluge in her 100th game for Germany.
Germany held their own through the first few minutes, but the story of the first period was Finland’s special teams. Taking two penalties in the first seven minutes, Finland didn’t just keep the puck out of their net, but spent a decent amount of time on the penalty kill in Germany’s zone.
Finland didn’t waste any time once they got a power play of their own. Hiirikoski passed the puck up ice to Petra Nieminen, who made moves past two German players and fed the puck across the slot to Rosa Lindstedt to give Finland the lead.
"The timing was perfect, and obviously Petra did a really good job on the wall and made a really nice pass," said Lindstedt. "I think we followed our game plan pretty well, we tried to turn around the game pretty quick in the neutral zone and tried to get the puck in the offensive zone."
Making her Women’s Worlds debut in net for Germany was Johanna May, who plays for ESC Riverrats Geretsried in the fourth German men’s league and was named Best Goaltender at the 2017 U18 Women’s World Championship Division I Group A tournament, where she backstopped Germany to gold. May didn't appear shaken in the moments that followed Lindstedt’s goal, making an impressive save through heavy traffic.
"She did so well," Tabea Botthof said of May. "I played with her in U18s too and obviously I know what she can do, and she did it today and it’s incredible."
Finland added a second goal before the intermission however. While May initially stopped the oncoming line of Jenniina Nylund, Sofianna Sundelin and Emilia Vesa, she wasn’t able to fully cover the puck, and Vesa tapped it over the line. Read More…
