Team Canada has won their first game of the 2019 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Espoo, Finland.On Thursday, Canada trounced Switzerland 6-0.
Four Canadian players recorded a multi-point game. Emily Clark of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan had two goals. Canadian Olympic gold medalist Natalie Spooner of Scarborough, Ontario had one goal and one assist for two points. Canadian Olympic gold medalist Laura Fortino of Hamilton, Ontario and Renata Fast of Hamilton, Ontario each had two assists. The other Canadian goal scorers were Loren Gabel of Kitchener, Ontario, Blayre Turnbull of Stellarton, Nova Scotia and Jamie Lee Rattray of Kanata, Ontario. Meanwhile, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Shannon Szabados of Edmonton, Alberta made six saves for the shutout in a game that Canada out shot Switzerland 53-6.
Szabados won the Olympic gold medal for Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Spooner and Fortino won a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
All five of the teams in Group A advance to the quarterfinals along with the top three teams from Group B. Canada was one of two teams to win their Group A game on Thursday as the United States trounced Finland 6-2. Canada’s next game will be against the United States on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. MT.
