Finland enters the newest 2022 Olympic ladies hockey event once the defending tan medalists off the 2018 Winter season Online game in the South Korea and also the 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Ladies Community Championship inside the Canada. Songs pretty simple, proper? But there’s more right here than just suits the eye into Nordic country that sits third on the IIHF Ladies World Ranks.
This really is a group when you look at the transition around Pasi Mustonen, that will act as direct mentor within his second and you may past Olympics. Childhood was front side and heart. The Beijing lineup, announced with the 20 January, possess a massive 13 Olympic very first-timers, along with seven skaters produced following the season 2000.
It is very similar to the group you to definitely hit the ice during the Calgary in the August, nevertheless exclusion of goalie Noora Raty – a four-day Olympian just who backstopped Finland so you can tan both in 2010 and you can 2018 and a likely coming IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies due to the fact a great shocker.
Raty, thirty two, clashed which have Mustonen publicly a year ago when she decided to perform this lady hockey school inside Minnesota in place of join the Women’s Worlds people. Nevertheless, the fresh new tenacious and you may skilled veteran starred for HPK Hameenlinna this season, is actually welcome into the Olympic studies go camping, along with currently accessible to rejoin the new Russian Ladies’ Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Radiation after Beijing.
Mustonen, no matter if, can also be validate their controversial beautiful indonesian women decision of the pointing so you’re able to Anni Keisala’s great abilities from inside the Calgary. The newest 24-year-old Ilves netminder – an effective positionally voice, chill battler – is actually entitled Most readily useful Goalie and you can a competition all-celebrity at Ladies Globes (1.43 GAA, 94.8 help save percentage, a few shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, 32, will bring a competent choice, even though the seasoned of 5 Ladies’ Globes don’t play during the their a couple of past Olympics (2014, 2018).
New million-dollar question for you is if or not both Keisala or Raisanen is capable of replicating the fresh new magic Raty shown at records-and make go to the latest gold medal from the 2019 Ladies Worlds from inside the Espoo. There, Raty made 43 preserves inside the a 4-dos partial-final disturb over Canada and one 50 preserves throughout the questionable 2-step one silver-medal shootout losses towards the Us citizens.
In the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), whom, for example Raisanen, seated toward sidelines at the the 2014 and you will 2018 Games, nabs the third goalie location. She changes Jenna Silvonen, brand new 23-year-old Mercyhurst College or university netminder which spotted inside Calgary.
Chief Jenni Hiirikoski headlines the new Finnish blueline. Entitled Better Defender at history a few Olympics and eight Ladies Planets, the newest swift-skating 34-year-dated movie star performs in any disease. Hiirikoski averaged an event-high of frost amount of time in Calgary. Most other secret every-to blueliners are Hiirikoski’s powerful Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and Minttu Tuominen, who’ll signup Raty and pass Susanna Tapani for the Vanke Light immediately following Beijing.
Breathtaking finnish ladies
A significant blueline omission is 33-year-dated Rosa Lindstedt, a great three-time Olympian just who captains Brynas Gavle but is slowed down of the wounds this season. One places the newest onus into about three younger Kiekko-Espoo defenders to send second-level several-ways activities.
Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and you may Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), one another 19, score step one-dos when you look at the scoring certainly Naisten Liiga defenders, if you’re Ella Viitasuo, twenty five, (16+24=40) try third. This Olympics scratches Rantala’s elder-height IIHF debut. So it trio’s power to withstand the latest forechecking of your North american superpowers is crucial.
Offensively, there isn’t any question the major give collection of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you may Michelle Karvinen often head the way in which.
The fresh explosive Nieminen, 22, added brand new Ladies Globes with half a dozen wants on the way to help you an all-star class berth. The newest Lulea winger is actually 2nd inside SDHL rating (24+28=52) trailing Brynas Gavle’s Swiss superstar Lara Stalder. Tapani – a gifted athlete which including reigns over global inside the inline hockey and ringette – have a tendency to point with her playmaking experiences for lots more needs away of Karvinen, an other experienced exactly who cracked into the half dozen facilitate however, failed to light the brand new red light within 2021 Women’s Globes.
Karvinen, 29, was entering this lady fourth Olympics and contributed new 2014 event inside Sochi which have four desires. The fresh Danish-Finnish energy submit possess occupied the net when you look at the ten game which have Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) on Swedish earliest department in 2010.
Next, brand new margin ranging from profit and you will defeat facing Canada and You.S. will most likely count about how much supplementary scoring Mustonen becomes. In Calgary, the fresh new Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-step 3 throughout the opener, because You.S. blanked Finland step three-0 in both the group phase and partial-finals.
Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), bidding so you can victory this lady third upright Naisten Liiga rating identity, had her lone Ladies’ Globes objective facing Canada. Gritty Lulea submit Viivi Vainikka’s just mission are the past one from inside the an excellent 6-0 romp over Switzerland. Lulea seasoned Noora Tulus, a several-day Swedish champion, keeps put another personal field SDHL filled with specifications this 12 months (18), however, has not scored into the IIHF race because 2017 Ladies’ Worlds. A few of these forward have to make much more from inside the Beijing.
Rating from precocious sixteen-year-old Sanni Vanhanen, which potted the 1-0 one-fourth-final champion up against Czechia for the Calgary, could well be an attractive extra. The new Finns can also predict rates and a good examining about enjoys off Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and next-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.
The latest Finns possess clearly split up on their own of Classification A competitors such as for example the latest ROC group and you can Switzerland. The latest Russians last made an IIHF podium toward 2016 Ladies Planets bronze medal, because Swiss haven’t obtained people steel given that shocking 2014 Olympic bronze medal in the Sochi. It is possible you to Czechia, which has forced Finland hard in two straight Ladies’ Worlds one-fourth-finals today, will get pose the most significant counterthreat for third place.
For Mustonen’s crew, something below successful their state’s 4th Olympic tan medal away from in history from inside the Beijing might be a major frustration. Yet , deciding to make the Olympic latest the very first time of them all looks like a lengthy sample. Regardless, it will be another essential help the Finnish federal team’s growth procedure.
Lineup
Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, College 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, Group 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