Day: April 16, 2023

USA forward Hilary Knight, center, celebrates her goal with teammates during third period IHF Women’s World Hockey Championship gold medal hockey action against Canada in Brampton, Ont.

Source – Canadian Press

Hilary Knight scored the go-ahead goal as part of a hat trick in leading the U.S. to a 6-3 gold-medal victory over Canada at the world women’s hockey championship on Sunday.

Abbey Murphy, Caroline Harvey and Cayla Barnes added the other goal for the U.S. Aerin Frankel earned the win in goal as the Americans won their 10th world title.

Brianne Jenner, with two goals and an assist, and Marie-Philip Poulin, with a goal and an assist, scored for Canada. Ann-Renee Desbiens took the loss in net.

Jenner has five goals across the last three world championship gold-medal finals. The Oakville, Ont., native had both of Canada’s goals in a 2-1 win over the U.S. last year and one in Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory in 2021.

The two sides have met in every world championship gold-medal final since the tournament’s inception in 1990 except for 2019, when the U.S. defeated Finland and Canada settled for bronze.

Czechia defeated Switzerland 3-2 in the bronze-medal game earlier on Sunday. The 2024 worlds will be held in Utica, N.Y., from April 4-14, USA Hockey announced Sunday afternoon.

The Americans almost opened the scoring just under five minutes in when Lacey Eden sent a backhand on net that almost trickled in from beneath Desbiens’s pads, but the netminder kept it out.

Twenty-five seconds after Hayley Scamurra was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Eden joined her for a delay of game after sending the puck into the crowd from the U.S. zone.

A mere 14 seconds later, Canada struck on the 5-on-3 power play. Poulin scored on a one-timer from the right faceoff circle on a dish from Erin Ambrose 6:23 into the first period.

Murphy knotted the contest with 1:59 left in the first. She took the puck on a dish from Alex Carpenter, put a toe drag move to get around a diving Ambrose and sent it five-hole on Desbiens.

Coming out of a successful penalty kill early in the second period, Canada came out firing with scoring chances. After a few misses, Jenner scored from the point on a dish from Renata Fast 5:03 into the frame.

Knight tied the contest 8:30 into the second. Amanda Kessel drove into Canada’s zone on a 2-on-1, got around a diving Ella Shelton, and sent the puck across to Knight, who tapped it in.

Jenner doubled her scoring total just 69 seconds later. She tipped in a point shot from Fast to make it 3-2 for Canada.

Harvey tied the game 5:40 into the third period. She moved in from the point, made Blayre Turnbull bite on a fake and sent a wrist shot that beat Desbiens glove side.

Knight gave the Americans their first lead of the game with 3:10 left in the third. She scored on a 5-on-3 power play after Jenner (tripping) and Claire Thompson (delay of game) were sent to the penalty box.

Twenty-seven seconds later, Knight completed her hat trick to give the U.S. a two-goal lead. With 1:58 remaining, Barnes furthered the Americans’ advantage with an empty-netter.

Sarah Fillier of Canada was named tournament MVP. She had seven goals and four assists in seven games.

The Aud is not just a great hockey arena; it is also of historic importance.

By Andrew Podnieks – IIHF.com

The IIHF and USA Hockey today announced that next year’s IIHF Women’s World Championship will be played in Utica, New York. Two venues will be used for the 31 games—the Adirondack Bank Center and Utica University Nexus Center—and the tentative dates are 4-14 April, 2024.

“We’re thrilled to have the IIHF Women’s World Championship back in the U.S. and could not be more excited to bring the event to Utica,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “The leadership of the Mohawk Valley Garden group, led by Robert Esche, in partnering with us, and the support from the state of New York, Turning Stone Resort, and the city of Utica has been fantastic. We know fans will enjoy the opportunity to see the best women’s hockey players in the world in person next April.”
 
“We are confident that Utica will be an excellent host,” said Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). “It is always a positive to have someone like Robert [Esche] involved, who played on U.S. National Teams and also played in the NHL, as he brings a unique perspective that will contribute to what we know will be a great Women’s Worlds.”

“Hosting an event as prestigious as the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship is truly an honor, and marks another milestone for the Utica University Nexus Center and Adirondack Bank Center as we continue to grow and build on the sports repertoire in the City of Utica,” said Esche, president of Mohawk Valley Garden, who played eight seasons in the NHL and was also a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. “We are very lucky to be able to showcase the highest level of women’s hockey in the world and look forward to partnering with USA Hockey to create the best experience possible.”

The U.S. has hosted the IIHF Women’s World Championship four times, most recently in 2017 in Plymouth, Michigan, at USA Hockey Arena. The Americans won gold that year on a Hilary Knight goal in overtime against arch-rivals Canada. Canada won gold in 2012 in Burlington, Vermont, as well as 1994 in Lake Placid, New York.

The historic Adirondack Bank Center, nicknamed the Aud, is home to the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. In 2011 it was designated as a National Historic Civic Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in recognition of its innovative cable suspended roof. The Utica University Nexus Center, opened in 2022, is home of the Utica University women’s ice hockey team, and contains three ice surfaces. The two facilities are connected by a walkway.
 
Utica is about one hour due east of Syracuse, New York, and about three hours south of Kingston, Ontario.