Finland goes into this new 2022 Olympic women’s hockey competition once the defending bronze medalists off both 2018 Winter months Game inside Southern Korea additionally the 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Ladies Business Championship when you look at the Canada. Sounds fairly simple, best? But there is significantly more here than matches the Belfast beautiful women attention into the Nordic country that consist third throughout the IIHF Ladies World Positions.
This is certainly a team inside the change below Pasi Mustonen, that will serve as lead mentor at the his 2nd and you can last Olympics. Childhood is front side and you will heart. The new Beijing roster, revealed into 20 January, provides an impressive 13 Olympic first-timers, and eight skaters created adopting the season 2000.
It is very just like the team one hit the ice during the Calgary inside the August, nevertheless exemption off goalie Noora Raty – a several-go out Olympian which backstopped Finland to help you bronze in both 2010 and you will 2018 and you can a probably coming IIHF Hall-of-famer – qualifies as a beneficial shocker.
Raty, 32, clashed that have Mustonen in public areas this past year whenever she selected to operate her hockey college into the Minnesota as opposed to get in on the Ladies’ Globes class. Nevertheless, brand new tenacious and you may skilled seasoned played getting HPK Hameenlinna this current year, was greet to your Olympic studies camp, together with currently wanted to rejoin the fresh new Russian Ladies Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Light immediately after Beijing.
Mustonen, whether or not, normally validate their questionable decision from the pointing in order to Anni Keisala’s higher results from inside the Calgary. The fresh new 24-year-dated Ilves netminder – an excellent positionally voice, cool battler – is named Top Goalie and you can a tournament most of the-star from the Ladies’ Planets (step one.43 GAA, 94.8 save percentage, a few shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, 32, brings a competent option, although the experienced of 5 Women’s Planets didn’t play from the their a couple of past Olympics (2014, 2018).
The new billion-dollar question is if or not possibly Keisala otherwise Raisanen can perform duplicating the magic Raty shown in the background-and make run to this new silver medal at the 2019 Ladies Globes in the Espoo. Around, Raty produced 43 preserves in an effective cuatro-dos semi-latest disappointed more Canada plus one 50 saves regarding debatable 2-1 gold-medal shootout losings to the Us citizens.
Inside the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), just who, such as for instance Raisanen, seated towards sidelines in the both 2014 and you may 2018 Game, nabs the third goalie destination. She changes Jenna Silvonen, the fresh new 23-year-old Mercyhurst University netminder who noticed during the Calgary.
Captain Jenni Hiirikoski statements the brand new Finnish blueline. Entitled Ideal Defender from the history several Olympics and you will eight Ladies’ Worlds, the quick-skating 34-year-old celeb takes on in virtually any disease. Hiirikoski averaged a tournament-most of frost amount of time in Calgary. Most other secret most of the-up to blueliners become Hiirikoski’s powerful Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and Minttu Tuominen, who will register Raty and you may send Susanna Tapani on Vanke Light after Beijing.
Beautiful finnish people
A noteworthy blueline omission is 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, an effective around three-time Olympian who captains Brynas Gavle however, was slowed by injuries this present year. You to definitely sets this new onus towards the about three younger Kiekko-Espoo defenders to send next-height a couple-way shows.
Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), each other 19, score step one-2 in the rating among Naisten Liiga defenders, if you’re Ella Viitasuo, 25, (16+24=40) was 3rd. So it Olympics scratches Rantala’s elder-peak IIHF introduction. It trio’s capability to withstand the forechecking of your United states superpowers would be crucial.
Offensively, there’s absolutely no concern the big send line of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you can Michelle Karvinen tend to head the way.
New explosive Nieminen, twenty-two, added brand new Women’s Worlds which have half dozen specifications on the way to help you an enthusiastic all-celebrity people berth. This new Lulea winger try second into the SDHL scoring (24+28=52) about Brynas Gavle’s Swiss celebrity Lara Stalder. Tapani – a skilled runner who as well as reigns over globally for the inline hockey and ringette – usually aim along with her playmaking enjoy to get more requirements aside regarding Karvinen, a fellow veteran exactly who broken inside the six facilitate but did not white the fresh new red light at 2021 Women’s Worlds.
Karvinen, 30, is actually typing their 4th Olympics and you will provided this new 2014 event when you look at the Sochi that have five requires. The Danish-Finnish fuel give have filled the net into the 10 online game which have Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) regarding the Swedish very first office this year.
Up coming, the newest margin anywhere between win and you can beat facing Canada and U.S. may rely precisely how far supplementary scoring Mustonen gets. During the Calgary, the new Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-3 in the opener, since You.S. blanked Finland step 3-0 both in the team phase therefore the partial-finals.
Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid in order to profit the girl 3rd upright Naisten Liiga scoring label, got the lady lone Ladies’ Planets purpose up against Canada. Gritty Lulea forward Viivi Vainikka’s just objective is actually the past you to when you look at the an excellent 6-0 romp more Switzerland. Lulea veteran Noora Tulus, a four-go out Swedish winner, enjoys lay a separate private career SDHL stuffed with specifications this year (18), however, has not scored into the IIHF battle because the 2017 Ladies’ Worlds. Each one of these ahead need generate even more in Beijing.
Scoring away from precocious sixteen-year-old Sanni Vanhanen, whom potted the latest 1-0 quarter-final champ facing Czechia inside the Calgary, might be a pleasant extra. Brand new Finns may also expect price and you can an excellent checking in the loves from Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you can 2nd-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.
The fresh Finns features demonstrably split themselves of Classification An opponents particularly the latest ROC party and you will Switzerland. The fresh Russians last-made an IIHF podium to the 2016 Women’s Planets tan medal, since the Swiss haven’t obtained any metal given that surprising 2014 Olympic tan medal from inside the Sochi. It is possible one Czechia, with pushed Finland hard in two successive Women’s Worlds one-fourth-finals now, will get angle the largest counterthreat to possess third set.
For Mustonen’s staff, anything less than successful its state’s last Olympic tan medal off in history when you look at the Beijing could well be a major dissatisfaction. But really putting some Olympic final the very first time at this moment appears like a long test. Regardless, it’s going to be another significant part of the newest Finnish national team’s maturation processes.
Roster
Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, School out of New york (NCAA) Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo Ronja Savolainen, Lulea Gavle (SWE) Minnamari Tuominen, Kiekko-Espoo Ella Viitasuo, Kiekko-Espoo
Ahead 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. Affect Condition (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Cluster Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Light (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo