U.S Women Headed Back to Gold Medal Game

For the fourth time in five Olympics since women’s ice hockey became a medal sport, the United States is headed to the gold medal game. The Americans routed Sweden, 6-1, in a semifinal match on Monday at Shayba Arena in Sochi, Russia to advance to the final.

It wasn’t even that close.

The Americans took a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes, while outshooting the Swedes, 28-1, in that span. The shots-on-goal margin climbed to 70-9 before it was all over, with U.S. goaltender Jessie Vetter (Wisconsin) coming less than seven minutes of her first shutout in Sochi while seeing limited action.

Megan Bozek had a goal and two assists for the American blueliners, who also provided the game-winning goal by Kacey Bellamy (New Hampshire). Forwards Alex Carpenter (Boston College), Amanda Kessel (Minnesota), Monique Lamoureux (North Dakota) and Brianna Decker (Wisconsin) also lit the lamp for the U.S.

Sweden’s 3-2 shootout victory over the U.S. at the 2006 winter Olympics in Torino, Italy seems more and more like an anomaly, in light of today’s contest. The Americans will now face the winner of today's other semifinal between arch-rival Canada and Switzerland on Thursday (12 a.m. ET) for the gold, which Canada has won in the last three Olympics. The U.S beat Switzerland, 9-0, last week but fell to Canada, 3-2, in preliminary-round play.

Gophers Record Kazmaier Hat Trick

Someone from the University of Minnesota will win this year’s Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation’s top NCAA Division I collegiate women’s hockey player. That’s because all three finalists – a forward, blueliner and goaltender – play for head coach Brad Frost and the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Golden Gophers (36-0-0 overall, 28-0-0 WCHA).

Junior forward Amanda Kessel, younger sister of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel, leads the nation in scoring with 43 goals and 51 assists for 94 points in 33 games, and has 224 points in 109 career appearances. Team captain and senior defender Megan Bozek, an Illinois native, is third on this year’s Gopher scoring scroll with 18-34—52 points in 36 outings, while senior netminder and two-time Finnish Olympian Noora Räty has gone 31-0-0 so far this season with 14 shutouts, and has not allowed goal in her last four games.

Former Minnesota forward and two-time U.S. Olympian Krissy Wendell is the only previous Gopher to have won the Kazmaier Award, back in 2005 when she recorded 43-61—104 points in 40 contests. This year’s award will be presented in Minneapolis on March 23, as part of the NCAA Frozen Four.

The current Minnesota squad has won 44 games dating back to last season, and just completed a two-step sweep of Bemidji State in the first round of the WCHA Tournament. The Gophers will next skate against Ohio State on Friday at home at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis in a league semifinal in the WCHA Final Face-Off. The winner will play the victor of the North Dakota-Wisconsin semifinal on Saturday for the WCHA’s automatic berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.