Girls Ice Hockey

Changing of the guard? Youngsters aplenty for women's national teams 04-09-09 Back On a youthful U.S. team, veteran Julie Chu (13) still enjoys success. Her squad downed Canada 4-2. Photo: Jeff Vinnick / IIHF VANCOUVER – One key element for women's hockey success at the 2010 Olympics will be integrating youngsters seamlessly into the lineup. That's already coming into play as the Hockey Canada Cup pre-Olympic test event at GM Place continues. On Thursday, Sweden beat Finland 3-1 and the USA defeated Canada 4-2 to wrap up the six-game preliminary round. Those two matchups were likely previews of the bronze-medal and gold-medal games respectively. The USA claimed first place in the round-robin and will play Finland in Saturday's first semi-final, while second-ranked Canada will take on Sweden in the late semi-final. The tournament's top goal-scorer so far is a 19-year-old forward. Canada's Rebecca Johnston, who is hoping to appear in her first Olympics, has amassed five goals. The ultra-youthful Swedes managed their first victory (and goals) of the tournament after being blanked 7-0 in each of their first two games against the North American powers. Canada ran into penalty trouble with some undisciplined play versus the USA, taking seven consecutive minors at one point. Jenny Potter scored a pair and Hilary Knight had a goal and two assists in front of 6,833 fans. “I've had Hilary since she was a freshman down at Wisconsin, and in the last 15 or 18 months she's really grown as a player,” said USA coach Mark Johnson of one of his brightest young talents. “People have seen that who've been around our program and the international game. She scored a nice goal, and she plays well with Jenny out there.” Want proof that youth is being served? Except for the USA, all the Hockey Canada Cup squads feature players that were born in the decade that brought us Bill Clinton, Nirvana, and the Internet (the 1990's, in case you're still wondering). Even bearing in mind that the average age of female players skews younger, since this is still a developing sport, the numbers are interesting to contemplate. Among the second-tier powers, Sweden stands out as a team in transition. Its roster includes 11 kids from the 1990's, two of whom only recently turned 17. They include forwards Johanna Fallman (June 21, 1990), Cecilia Ostberg (January 15, 1991), Erika Grahm (January 26, 1991), Tina Enstrom (February 23, 1991), Isabelle Jordansson (March 8, 1991), Klara Myren (May 25, 1991), and Anna Borgqvist (June 11, 1992); defensemen Emma Nordin (March 22, 1991) and Annie Svedin (October 12, 1991); and backup goaltenders Valentina Lizana (March 30, 1990) and Josephin Lennstrom (August 23, 1992). To really put things in perspective, only four of the Swedes were born before 1985. It will be difficult for Sweden to replicate its silver medal exploits from the 2006 Winter Games. Tre Kronor's go-to players are still the 1970's-born stalwarts, who helped them to a surprise silver in Turin: forwards Maria Rooth and Erika Holst, and blueliner Gunilla Andersson. Of course, 20-year-old forward Pernilla Winberg is a threat too. Meanwhile, Finland's roster includes four 1990's-born players: forwards Michelle Karvinen (March 27, 1990), Minnamari Tuominen (June 26, 1990), and Linda Valimaki (May 31, 1990), and defenceman Tea Villila (April 16, 1991). For some other teams, it's just a question of bringing in a little new blood. Canada, the defending Olympic champion from 2006, has 18-year-old forwards Marie-Philip Poulin (March 28, 1991) and Brianne Jenner (May 4, 1991), both of whom are expected to develop into impact players. The host team will have to help make up the scoring deficit with the loss of such longtime aces as Vicky Sunohara and Danielle Goyette. “I think Brianne's played quite well,” said Team Canada captain Hayley Wickenheiser of Jenner. “She's a big body, she plays hard, and she goes to the gritty areas. She creates space and opportunities. She has a legitimate chance of playing in the Olympics if she can keep up the pace at this level.” Changing of the guard? “It's been that way the last few years for us,” Wickenheiser said. “We've brought young players in that need to step into more of a leadership role. More is expected of them. After the last couple of Worlds, we've got a team that's coming together well. It's just a question of putting all the pieces together.” Between a quarter and a third of Team Canada is expected to retire from international competition after the 2010 Games, too, but the Canadians will have an easier time replacing their stars than other nations due to their perennial depth. The Americans, who suffered from the lack of Cammi Granato's veteran leadership in Turin and surprisingly fell 3-2 to Finland in the Hockey Canada Cup opener, will have to prove in Vancouver that the experience they've gained in winning the last two Women's World Championships can translate into Olympic gold. They boast speed, skill, defensive awareness, and aggressive forechecking, but do they have the mental toughness required in the Olympics? Capturing gold in front of sparse crowds in Harbin, China (2008) and Hameenlinna, Finland (2009) offered a very different atmosphere from what will confront the Americans if they face Canada for gold at a sold-out, screaming GM Place (will be renamed to Canada Hockey Place) in February 2010. From the current group, only Potter and defensemen Angela Ruggiero will be over 30 when the Olympic tournament kicks off. The average age of the current group is 23.5 years old, and the 2010 Team USA will feature at least 15 Olympic rookies. Team USA's youngest forwards to watch include three 20-year-olds: Knight, the leading scorer for the University of Wisconsin Badgers in 2008-09, and twin sisters Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux, who play for the University of North Dakota. The Hockey Canada Cup runs through September 6, when the gold-medal and bronze-medal games will take place at GM Place. LUCAS AYKROYD