hckošice

Rio X-Park Whitewater Stadium Sports: Canoeing Slalom Zone DEODORO Location: Deodoro Rio Olympic X-Park The Whitewater Stadium is located within the X-Park section of Deodoro Olympic Park and will host the canoe slalom events. A permanent 250m long course with temporary support facilities and seating for 8,000. will leave a legacy for the sport in Brazil. Though the Rio course doesn’t boast the same gradient or steep drops as recent Olympic venues, the whitewater is nonstop from start to finish. Utilizing the same adjustable Rapidbloc system as the Lee Valley White Water Centre in London, the designers have configured the obstacles to create consistent, hole-laden whitewater. The main flow is quite powerful and punishing as it bounces off the blocks creating eddies. As a result, if a athlete mistime one stroke, it becomes extremely difficult to get the boat back on top of the water without exerting enormous amounts of energy.

Crushin' the Russians Johnston, Mikkelson, Krzyzaniak shine in romp Canada's Meaghan Mikkelson #12 celebrates with Tara Watchorn #27, Brianne Jenner #19, Rebecca Johnston #6 and Jennifer Wakefield #9 after a second period goal against Russia during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Host Canada exploded for six unanswered second-period goals and went on to thump Russia 8-1 for its first win of the 2016 tournament on Tuesday. Coach Laura Schuler's squad trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes, marking the first time Russia has ever held a lead over Canada at the Women's Worlds. But that'll be a historical footnote. Rebecca Johnston set the tone with a goal and three assists. Defenders Meaghan Mikkelson and Halli Krzyzaniak both scored twice. Jennifer Wakefield had a goal and a helper, and captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Emily Clark each added goals. Brianne Jenner chipped in four assists. "We just needed to get that first goal," said Johnston. "We had a lot of good chances in the first period. Going into the second period, we weren’t down on ourselves. We knew we just had to keep getting shots on net." Iya Gavrilova, a longtime star for the University of Calgary Dinos, tallied for Russia, which remains pointless. "The second period was the turning point," Gavrilova said. "I think when they scored on us, we tried to score again. And you can’t do that against teams like Canada and the U.S. You have to be patient. You have to play the same way we did in the first period. I think we just weren’t patient enough." Although Canada clearly outplayed Russia in the early going, Gavrilova silenced the home crowd when she stickhandled into the slot and whipped a shot past goalie Charline Labonte to make it 1-0 Russia at 13:29. It was her third goal so far in Kamloops. Just 40 seconds into the second period, Johnston notched the shorthanded equalizer. The Canadians raced into the Russian zone and Jenner found Johnston in the right faceoff circle, where she fired it past Russian starter Anna Prugova. At 3:07, Canada went up 2-1 thanks to Krzyzaniak. The Russians failed to clear it out of their zone, and the blueliner’s drive from the right point floated in. Only 35 seconds later, Wakefield powered to the net on a partial breakaway and pushed the puck through the goalie’s legs while crashing to the ice. "I think they just started to pour in after the first goal," Johnston said. Trailing 3-1, the Russians tried to switch up the momentum by switching goalies. Prugova -- who also played for the 2013 bronze medal team -- came out in favour of Maria Sorokina. But it wasn’t the magic bullet they desired. Mikkelson scored the next two Canadian goals, one at even-strength at 4:42 and the next on a 5-on-3 power play 38 seconds later. The roof had fallen in on Russia, and there was no way to disguise it. Five goals in under five minutes is a statement. "In the first period, we saw they were playing a bit of a trap," said Mikkelson. "So we just talked in the dressing room as a D-corps and said we needed to skate the puck a little bit more. Obviously, putting a couple in the net is always a plus." Mikkelson, returning to Canada's lineup after taking time off to become a mother, nearly completed the natural hat trick on a penalty shot after the Russians were whistled for illegally covering up the puck in the goal crease. However, Sorokina denied her deke. With 2:05 left in the second period, Krzyzaniak made it 6-1 on the power play, pinching into the faceoff circle and zinging it over Sorokina's left shoulder. "I think I just have a little bit more confidence shooting," said Krzynaziak. "We’ve had a lot of great screens in front and a lot of people creating chances for me." Russia failed to capitalize with an extended 5-on-3 advantage that overlapped the end of the second period and the start of the third. At this point, it was largely academic -- although Canada might be concerned about its lack of discipline. In fact, the red-and-white team totalled seven consecutive minors during this stretch. "I think that’s something we need to be better at moving forward: discipline," Mikkelson said. "We know kind of what the refs are going to call now, the little hooks and interference and sticks and all that. It’s good that this is happening early on in the tournament so that we know that it’s something we can’t do moving forward." At 13:19 of the third, Poulin made it 7-1 shorthanded on a beautiful give-and-go with Jenner. Clark rounded out the scoring on a nice flip shot with 2:08 left. Mikkelson raved about the Sandman Centre crowd and Canadian fans in general: "Whenever we play in Canada, we have such an incredible crowd that comes out and so much support. Our fans have been amazing so far. You hear from them on social media and everything. I think it’s important for them to know that we really feel their support." Canada improved its all-time Women's Worlds record versus Russia to eight wins and zero losses, dating back to 1997. It was the third time in tournament history Canada has beaten Russia 8-1. The host nation can clinch a semi-final berth on Thursday by defeating Finland. Also on Thursday, the Russians will hope for a better fate against the United States compared to last year's tournament. In Malmo, the U.S. hammered Russia 9-2 in round-robin play and 13-1 in the semi-finals. "We just gotta play all 60 minutes against them," Gavrilova said. "Teams like that, you have to stay patient, follow the system, and stay out of the box."

Canada - Russia 8-1

Japan gets blanked Swedes take revenge for last year Sweden's Pernilla Winberg #16 skates with the puck while Japan's Nana Fujimoto #1 defends her net during preliminary round - 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. Swedish goalie Sara Grahn needed just 16 saves to record a 2-0 shutout over Japan on Tuesday night. It was Sweden’s second straight win in Group B. The Swedes were happy to beat the Japanese after falling 4-3 to them in a shootout in Malmo to kick off the 2015 Women’s Worlds. Even more importantly, this results puts Sweden in a great position for the quarter-finals. It was a tense, scoreless game through two periods. Pernilla Winberg, who led Sweden at the 2014 Olympics with seven points, got her team on the board unassisted just 59 seconds into the third. Emma Eliasson added a power play marker at 5:33 to make it 2-0. That was all the Damkronorna needed. Final shots favoured Sweden 35-16. Japan pulled goalie Nana Fujimoto with under two minutes to play, but couldn’t cash in with the extra attacker. The Japanese are winless through two games. Sweden will finish its preliminary round schedule against Switzerland on Thursday and the Japanese will face the Czechs.

Japan - Sweden 0-2

U.S. gets past Finland Raisanen busy, Lamoureux-Davidson scores winner USA's Hilary Knight #21 celebrates after scoring a first period goal against Finland's Meeri Raisanen #18 during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Hilary Knight and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored for the defending champion Americans, who maintained their perfect record after beating host Canada in the opener on Monday. "Obviously, we got off to a slow start, but to come out with a W is huge," said Knight. Michelle Karvinen scored for Finland, who relied on overworked star goalie Meeri Raisanen to keep it close. "There were a lot of shots," said Raisanen. "It’s always like that. I think we played maybe the best game ever against the USA." The U.S. could have scored more, but seemed a little sluggish after yesterday's barn-burner. It wasn't a highlight-reel peformance, but it was another three points for coach Ken Klee's crew. The Finns, who won bronze last year, drew first blood on a nice 2-on-1 rush at 5:03. Riikka Valila slipped a sweet, short feed over to Karvinen, who beat U.S. goalie Jessie Vetter with a backhand deke. "Me and Riikka have a great chemistry," said Karvinen. "I knew I was going to get the puck back, and I went backhand over the pad. It felt good to get a one-goal lead." Despite being outplayed by the stronger, more skilled Americans, Finland looked set to head to the dressing room with the lead. But Knight spoiled those plans. Standing in front of the net, she tipped in her third goal of the tournament off Lee Stecklein’s wrister from the left point to make it 1-1 at 19:02. Raisanen, a tournament all-star in 2015, had to stay sharp as the U.S. fired away from all angles in the first. She made a great save on NCAA scoring ace Kendall Coyne's breakaway. The bombardment continued in the second period, with the Americans outshooting Finland 20-1. At 15:09, Lamoureux-Davidson scored from the low slot to put the U.S. up 2-1. Raisanen did her best to keep her team in it, stopping Dana Trivigno’s in-close deke with 1:34 left before the second buzzer. But it wasn't enough in the end. The Finns had a golden opportunity to tie it with about six minutes left, as Karvinen set up Petra Nieminen, but Vetter made her best save of the night. Rosa Lindstedt took an interference penalty with just over a minute remaining, killing Finnish hopes of an equalizer. The main concern for the Americans thus far might be that they're not filling the net at their usual rate. Last year, they had 37 goals in just five games. Still, given that they've just faced the two other teams who medaled last year in Canada and Finland, there's likely more scoring to come. "We had a great, hard, physical camp and came here and had two hard games," said Knight. "We just need to make sure our minds are set the right way and our bodies are healed up and ready to go." The Americans entered this game with a record of 13 wins, one tie, and one loss against Finland. The only Finnish win was a 1-0 overtime victory at the 2008 Women’s Worlds in Harbin, China on April 8, 2008. Heidi Pelttari scored there in sudden-death. On Thursday, the U.S. will take on Russia, while Finland faces Canada to round out the Group A slate. "We have a chance to go straight to the semi-final," said Karvinen. "We know we’re really good as a team. We have a really great system, which makes it hard for the top teams to play against us. We need to continue like this, but keep the puck within the team and not give it away. Otherwise, we’re not going to get any goals. But we’ll see. Anything canhappen."

Finland - United States 1-2

Czech out this upset! Vanisova scores twice in second Czech win ever Czech Republic's Tereza Vanisova #21 scores a second period goal against Switzerland's Florence Schelling #41 during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Tereza Vanisova stepped up to give the Czechs a 2-0 second-period lead, and the newly promoted squad held on to upset Switzerland 3-1 on Day Two in Kamloops It was just the second Czech win in Women's Worlds history, and has to be considered a true shocker, coming against the 2014 Olympic bronze medalists. The first Czech win ever was a 3-2 decision over Sweden at the 2013 Women’s Worlds in Ottawa. The Czechs came close to beating Sweden in their tournament opener here in Kamloops, but allowed a goal with eight seconds left and lost 3-2. After surviving two Swiss power plays in the scoreless first period at McArthur Island Centre, the Czechs went on the attack early in the second period. Vanisova shocked the Swiss faithful with her two quick goals, first on the power play at 1:53, and then unassisted at even strength at 3:11. Vanisova, a 20-year-old Strakonice native, played for the HTI Stars in Mulmur, Ontario, this season and will suit up for the University of Maine in the fall. She had just one assist in her 2013 Women’s Worlds debut. In a small reversal of fortune, Vanisova was serving an interference minor when Swiss prodigy Alina Muller cut the deficit to 2-1 at 7:50 of the middle frame. But Samantha Kolowratova provided some crucial third-period insurance when she beat goalie Florence Schelling on the power play with 5:35 remaining to give the Czechs a 3-1 lead. It was pure ecstasy for coach Jiri Vozak's team, and heartbreak for the surprised Swiss. Czech goalie Klara Peslarova earned the win as the Swiss outshot the Czechs 23-17. The result spoiled Nicole Bullo’s 200th game in a Swiss national team uniform. The veteran bueliner was in the penalty box for Vanisova’s opening goal. The Swiss will round out their preliminary round slate against Sweden on Thursday. The Czechs battle Japan earlier that day.

Switzerland - Czech Republic 1-3

Updated as of March 30th, 2016. Congrats to Colombia to qualify both football teams

IIHF Men's Under 18 Ice Hockey Division II Group B World Championships 2016 Valdemoro (ESP) - 26.03.2016 - 01.04.2016 Round-Robin 6 Nations, Round-Robin Tournament, 1st Nation will be IIHF Men's Under 18 Ice Hockey Division II Group B World Championships 2016 Champion Day 3 Results Estonia 3 - 2 China (Score by Period: 1-0, 1-1, 1-1) 29th March 2016, h. 13:00 (GMT +2), Francisco Fernandez Ochoa Arena, Valdemoro Serbia 2 - 1 Belgium (Score by Period: 1-1, 1-0, 0-0) 29th March 2016, h. 16:30 (GMT +2), Francisco Fernandez Ochoa Arena, Valdemoro Spain 3 - 0 Iceland (Score by Period: 1-0, 0-0, 2-0) 29th March 2016, h. 20:00 (GMT +2), Francisco Fernandez Ochoa Arena, Valdemoro Provisional Standing After Day 3 RANK NATION GAME WINS W(OT) L(OT) LOSE SCORE POINTS 1 Estonia 3 3 0 0 0 18:5 9 2 Spain 3 3 0 0 0 14:4 9 3 Iceland 3 1 0 0 2 9:11 3 4 Serbia 3 1 0 0 2 7:10 3 5 Belgium 3 1 0 0 2 6:16 3 6 China 3 0 0 0 3 7:15 0

Germans back in 2017 Promoted to top women’s division The German women’s national team celebrates promotion back to the top division for the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship. 2017 is the year on the Germans’ helmet. It will see the country host the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship – and the women’s team back in the top division. After four out of four rounds the Germans won the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division I Group A in Aalborg, Denmark, to earn a swift return to the top division. A double from Laura Kluge and a shutout from Jennifer Harss sends Germany back into the top division of women’s hockey and booked the team its ticket to Plymouth, USA, in 2017. The Germans beat its nearest rival in the standings, France, 5-0 on Tuesday. “I can’t find words. It was such a great team effort,” explains an ecstatic Germany assistant captain Andrea Lanzl outside of her team’s dressing room that has been filled with cheers and singing still 10 minutes after the win. “It is amazing! It is my first championship that we win and I am very happy,” said Laura Kluge “It feels great! We are super happy about it. It feels awesome,” says an excited German goalkeeper Jennifer Harss. Harss made 16 saves to record her second consecutive shutout, knocking aside everything that was shot at her. The three-year-veteran has by far been the stand-out goaltender in Aalborg and proved that once again against France. The 28-year-old made crucial saves throughout the afternoon, but none more-so with her team only 1-0 up in the first period when she kicked aside a shot from Amandine Cuasnit, after the Frenchwomen found herself with a free shooting lane 11:10 into the period. “My team has played super-well in front of me and that helps me a lot,” said Harss about her players and continued. “I knew what kind of games I had to expect coming here. I was mentally prepared for not seeing as many shots, but being mentally ready. That was my main focus.” Young championship-leading goal and point scorer Laura Kluge netted twice to continue her hot form in Denmark, helping her team onto victory. The 19-year-old, who is in just her second year with the senior women’s national team, has impressed with her 6 goals and 3 assists to currently sit at the top of both the individual goal and point scoring standings with one game day still to play. “I have no idea if I am leading or not,” says a shy and modest Kluge. “I think we have done a good job playing as a team.” Player-of-the-Match against France, Andrea Lanzl scored three points, assisting twice and getting a goal of her own. Lanzl has been with the German team since their Olympic campaign in 2014. The 28-year-old from Starnberg felt the pain of relegation from the top division last year and says that it was always the goal for the ladies to get back up to the top as soon as possible. “It was our plan, our goal, to get up as soon as possible. We know what was going on in the top division and we wanted to go back,” said Lanzl. “We knew how difficult it would be to go back up, so we went straight with our game plan the whole tournament. We were so self-confident. Everyone knew their role in the team and we had great coaching staff that always said that we could do it.” With the goal of always returning to the top division and staying as competitive as possible, the Germans prepared for the Division I Group A by playing exhibition games against many of the top-flight European teams like Sweden, Finland and Russia. This strategy was to keep them as sharp and fast as possible and to ensure that they would control the games in Aaalborg, and give them the best possible chance of promotion. Their plan worked. “We needed those games to play at the higher level, to have the speed of the game and be fast. To battle against the good teams helps us in this situation. We had to go and make the game,” explained Lanzl. Germany will celebrate their win, no doubt long into the night and for the coming months, but it will be back to business in the summer when they prepare for the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships in Plymouth and for the Final Olympic Qualification tournament in February. “As of right now, I can only focus on this tournament but it is going to be great to go up. We are going to work hard in the summer for the World Championships and for the Olympic Qualification,” says Jennifer Harss. “We will take this self-confidence with us. We know there is no stop and we have to keep getting better every game and tournament. We know that there is more we have to bring. It takes time but we will take the time to work on those things,” says a determined Andrea Lanzl

IIHF Women's Ice Hockey Division I Group A World Championships 2016 Aalborg (DEN) - 25.03.2016 - 31.03.2016 Round-Robin 6 Nations, Round-Robin Tournament, 1st Nation will be IIHF Women's Ice Hockey Division I Group A World Championships 2016 Champion Day 4 Results Austria 4 - 1 Slovakia (Score by Period: 1-0, 0-1, 3-0) 29th March 2016, h. 13:00 (GMT +2), Gigantium Arena, Aalborg France 0 - 5 Germany (Score by Period: 0-1, 0-0, 0-4) 29th March 2016, h. 16:30 (GMT +2), Gigantium Arena, Aalborg Denmark 3 - 2 Norway (Score by Period: 2-1, 1-0, 0-1) 29th March 2016, h. 20:00 (GMT +2), Gigantium Arena, Aalborg Provisional Standing After Day 4 RANK NATION GAME WINS W(OT) L(OT) LOSE SCORE POINTS 1 Germany 4 4 0 0 0 15:4 12 2 France 4 3 0 0 1 11:7 9 3 Austria 4 2 1 0 1 13:9 8 4 Denmark 4 2 0 0 2 11:10 6 5 Norway 4 0 0 1 3 6:14 1 6 Slovakia 4 0 0 0 4 4:16 0 Following Nations Have Qualified for Women´s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships 2017 Germany

Really? wow, great and yes, Thats what I hope too

2 penalties for Ireland during 1 minute and in 1 minute from 0-1 it´s 2-1

nice goal by our U21 Albert Rusnák, just few minutes ago

Deodoro Stadium Sports: Rugby 7s, Modern Pentathlon (Riding, Combined Event) Zone DEODORO Location: Deodoro Olympic Park During the Olympic Games, The Deodoro Stadium will host rugby sevens' Olympic debut as well as the riding and combined sections of the modern pentathlon. Deodoro Stadium is located in the Deodoro Olympic Park and as one of the three Modern Pentathlon venues is only about 300 metres apart the other twso, allowing for easy movement between them. The Stadium will also be the home of the Great return of Rugby into the olympic program, this time during the first week of the Rio 216 Games will host all matches of both Rugby 7s Tournaments. After the Stands will be built, the Seating Capacity of the venue will reach 15.000 during the Games

Thanks for the info also thanks to everyone who send the updated news, I´ll check them and update the lists in the next few days

https://www.facebook.com/PeterSagan/photos/a.10151003720429467.477586.369505964466/10154055662489467/?type=3&theater

Stars and Stripes succeed Americans rally to edge host Canada on Day One USA's Hilary Knight #21 with a scoring chance against Canada's Emerance Maschmeyer #30 while Marie-Philip Poulin #29 defends during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. The defending champion U.S. bounced back to beat Canada 3-1 in an exciting first-day showdown between the likely finalists at a sold-out Sandman Centre. Hilary Knight scored twice and Brianna Decker had the winner for the Americans. Knight and Decker finished 1-2 in tournament scoring last year. "We stuck to it, focused on ourselves, and put ‘em in when it counted," said Decker. Laura Fortino replied for Canada, which drew first blood early in the third period but couldn't hold on to the lead. The Americans have won six out of the last eight Women’s Worlds, but Canada is the reigning four-time Olympic champion. The U.S. defeated Canada 7-5 in the 2015 gold medal game in Malmo, Sweden. So there was plenty of pride on the line. It was a hard-fought but clean game. "It was a good start to the tournament," said the U.S.'s Monique Lamoureux. "Obviously it was a little bit sloppy for us, not connecting on some passes and some turnovers. We’ll want to eliminate those down the road in the tournament. But you win games in different ways." As has become the norm between the North American archrivals in recent years, the U.S. had better wheels and puck movement overall, but Canada countered with its tenacious, never-say-die attitude. Canadian goalie Emerance Maschmeyer looked good in her first career Women’s Worlds start, going head-to-head with the U.S.’s Alex Rigsby. Last year, Maschmeyer was Canada’s third goalie and did not play. The U.S. outshot Canada 38-23. "It’s always disappointing getting a loss, especially against the U.S," said Maschmeyer. "It doesn’t feel good, but it gives us motivation to get them back again." The Americans enjoyed the territorial advantage in the first period. Maschmeyer was tested from every angle during a U.S. two-man advantage that lasted over a minute. "The big positive to take out of this game is that we killed off two 5-on-3’s," said Fortino. "We were dominant all game. Moving forward, I think we’re really going to believe in our special teams." In the second period, the torrid pace continued. Rigsby slid across to make a great save on Brianne Jenner’s one-timer off the rush. The U.S. came close to taking the lead off an Anne Pankowski near-breakaway. The third period was hell bent for leather. The partisan red-and-white crowd at the Sandman Centre was loud and excited. Fortino put Canada on the board 14 seconds in on the power play. Natalie Spooner and Meghan Agosta had come within a hair's-breadth of scoring during a goalmouth scramble. Fortino snared the puck above the hash marks and whizzed it over a prone Rigsby. "I feel like I assisted on their first goal," said Monique Lamoureux. "I passed it right to [Fortino]. But I thought we bounced back and played well." Just past the four-minute mark of the third period, Maschmeyer made a stellar glove save on the U.S.'s Dana Trivigno to maintain the lead. Krzyzaniak nearly put Canada up by two when she put one off the crossbar moments later. Halfway through the third, Knight burst into the Canadian zone on the left side and unleashed a wrister that tipped off Krzyzaniak's stick and over Maschmeyer's glove to tie it at 1-1. With 6:05 left, Decker gave the Americans the lead, pouncing on the rebound from a Monique Lamoureux drive in the slot and capitalizing. In the dying moments, the Canadians pulled Maschmeyer for a sixth skater and used up their timeout, but to no avail. Knight added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left. "We’ve just got to find a way to put the puck in the net more 5-on-5, and continue to work on building off the momentum we generated on our kill there," said Canadian coach Laura Schuler. "I think we came in with the mindset that we need to get better," said U.S. coach Ken Klee. "And obviously we’re pleased with the win, but we can certainly improve in a lot of areas." The game saw the return of three famous Canadian veterans who did not play at the 2015 tournament: forwards Hayley Wickenheiser and Meghan Agosta and defender Meaghan Mikkelson. On Tuesday, the Americans will face Finland, while Canada takes on Russia.

United States - Canada 3-1

Carlsson to the rescue Last-minute goal lifts Swedes over Czechs Sweden's Pernilla Winberg #16 celebrates a third period goal while Czech Republic's Klara Peslarova #29 looks on dejected during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Olivia Carlsson scored with eight seconds left in regulation to give Sweden a 3-2 win over the newly promoted Czech Republic on Monday. It was both a heartbreaking and heartening start to the tournament for the Czechs, who have only appeared once at an elite IIHF Women’s World Championship before. Interestingly, in their debut in Ottawa 2013, they upset Sweden 3-2. It’s still their only win in Women’s Worlds history. The Damkronorna, who outshot the Czechs 31-18, narrowly avoided making the same mistake twice. They will now set their sights on Japan on Tuesday. The Czechs will battle the Swiss earlier that day. This game was nearly half over when Petra Herzigova beat Swedish goalie Sara Grahn to open the scoring for the Czechs. Sweden’s Sabrina Lambertz Kuller tied it up with a shorthanded tally with 2:24 remaining in the middle frame. The teams exchanged goals in the first half of the third period. Hanna Olsson gave Sweden its first lead of the night on the power play at 1:22, but Aneta Ledlova notched the equalizer at 7:58. Carlsson’s late winner was her first goal in 10 career Women’s Worlds games. Pulling Czech netminder Klara Peslarova with eight seconds left for an extra attacker was a brave but futile gesture. Sweden is looking for its first medal at a top-level IIHF women’s event since 2007 (bronze).

Sweden - Czech Republic 3-2

Finns outlast Russia Niskanen hot as defending bronze medalists win Finland's Jenni Hiirikoski #6 celebrates a second period goal against Russia with Michelle Karvinen #21, Riikka Valila #13, Rosa Lindstedt #4 and Petra Nieminen #11 during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. In a rematch of last year’s bronze medal game, Finland beat Russia 5-3 at the Sandman Centre. Special teams dominated, as both sides had two power play goals. Tanja Niskanen scored twice and added an assist, and Jenni Hiirikoski, Ronja Savolainen, and Noora Tulus had singles for Finland, which defeated the Russians for third place last year in Malmo, Sweden. Iya Gavrilova had a pair of unassisted goals, and Anna Shibanova also scored for Russia. The Russians have medaled twice in tournament history, winning bronze in 2001 and 2013. "Of course, they scored three times," said Hiirikoski. "Maybe too much. But whatever! We scored five times today, and Tanja was on fire. It was good." Finnish starting goalie Meeri Raisanen got the win versus Russian counterpart Nadezhda Morozova in this spirited, up-and-down affair. Finland outshot Russia 28-25. "Obviously I’m not glad about the result," said Russia's Alexandra Vafina. "The luck wasn’t on our side. We had so many chances. The game was really good, pretty fast. I’m just a little bit disappointed." Niskanen broke a scoreless tie with 1:18 left in the first period when she circled into the slot and beat Morozova high to the blocker side with a smart wrister. The Russians drew even at 11:44 of the second period. On a nice solo effort, Gavrilova danced out from behind the goal line and surprised Raisanen with her quick release. It is Gavrilova’s tenth IIHF Women’s World Championship dating back to 2004 With the towering Rosa Lindstedt providing the screen in front, Hiirikoski’s centre point shot trickled home to put Finland up 2-1 less than three minutes later. The Finns took a penalty for too many players on the ice, and it cost them. Russia struck back with Shibanova’s great one-timer from the right faceoff circle at 15:43 to make it 2-2. Finland jumped ahead again at 3:31 of the third. Working on a 5-on-4, Niskanen tried to find Venla Hovi standing on the doorstep in front and the puck found its way past Morozova. "I have played with her this season in Jyvaskyla so I know how good she can be," Hiirikoski said of Niskanen. However, Russia wasn't done yet. Vafina provided the screen as Gavrilova cut out of the corner to the goalie’s left and zipped it home at 7:05 with the man advantage. But then the Finns pulled away. At 8:07, Savolainen cruised in off the blue line and took a rising shot that found twine past Morozova’s right post. Finland went up 5-3 at 10:35 when Noora Tulus corraled a rebound on her backhand and flung it past the goalie. Vafina missed on a partial breakaway late in the game, dinging it off the crossbar. That was as close as the Russians would get. "We will keep trying harder next time," said Vafina. Tough tests loom. Next up for Russia is host Canada on Tuesday. The Finns will play the Americans in the early game at the Sandman Centre that day. "We just have to be brave and do our best," said Hiirikoski. "Keep the puck moving. Let’s see what happens."

Russia - Finland 3-5