The World Cup tournament of the Finnish women’s ice hockey team received a nasty blow on Thursday, when the Czech Republic crushed their medal dreams in the quarterfinals – for the second time in a row. The Czech Republic won the match 2–1.
Finland’s match fell into ineffectiveness, because despite 42 shots, only managed to score Viivi Vainikka. The Czech Republic, on the other hand, used its position effectively – in the second period it shot only six times, but managed to score twice within 49 seconds.
The goalkeeper was one of the Czech’s successes Blanka Skodovawho got in the way of the puck 41 times.
– The Czech keeper made quite a robbery, Finland got quite enough chances to score. In the first set, the Czech Republic showed its own skill and gave some pretty hard steps. Finland didn’t really get direct attacks other than one-on-one situations, which for example Petra Niemisen came a lot. Without a doubt, Kiekollin should get help from the background. The lack of direct attacks was a big problem, Urheilu’s expert Ismo Lehkonen saw
The Czech Republic, on the other hand, received praise from the expert.
– They have a lot of young, skilled players who can protect, challenge in one-on-one situations and pass long chains and catch passes even in tight spots. Very high-quality, promising hockey. The Czech Republic seems to be doing the right things, which is supported by the way they play.
Instead, Lehkonen is worried about Finland’s actions. Last year, Naisleijonat barely beat Hungary in the placement matches and lost the second match to Japan. However, now Finland still has a chance to return to Group A, but it needs two wins to do so.
– You should have been worried six years ago. Are we doing the right things to catch Canada and the USA? I think they seem to be getting farther and farther away. It’s not enough just to have fun.
Training for exchange?
Head coach of the Women’s Lions Juuso Toivola became head coach in February of last year in the middle of the Beijing Olympics, when Pasi Mustonen had to leave the competition due to personal reasons. Toivola was supposed to start with a 2+2 year contract after the Beijing Olympics.
Toivola is familiar with the team, as she has been working in women’s hockey development tasks in the Jääkieksoliita for twenty years. He had also been part of Mustonen’s coaching team.
In Beijing, Finland still won Olympic bronze, but last fall, for the first time, the World Championships, which were played in the same year as the Olympics, ended in a huge disappointment for Finland.
Now Finland, led by Toivola, is left out of the medal games for the second time in a row.
– Juuso Toivola has done a long day’s work with that group and quite a few Olympiads have gone here… Would it be worth looking for someone outside of Vierumäki, Lehkonen asks.
– Someone who has international ideas for the future and who passionately wants to move women’s hockey forward and is involved in their everyday life.
The Finnish women’s national ice hockey team has never had a woman as head coach. Now the coaching team includes the one who led HIFK to the first championship in history in the Women’s League Saara Niemiwho represented Naisleijon in two Winter Olympics and five World Championships.
Lehkonen also proposes a former Naisleijoni player as head coach.
– Venla Court has publicly said that he would one day like to coach in the NHL. He could start a new project from a clean slate!
Read also: “I would like to coach in the NHL – Venla Hovi, 35, is creating an exceptional career in North America for a Finn
“The top field is missing”
There has been a stir around female lions in recent years. In last fall’s World Championships, the biggest of them was a rapid Susanna Tapani leaving for his friend’s wedding in the middle of the World Cup.
Tapan was not seen in this WC tournament. Head coach Toivola said during the World Cup tournament that Tapan was not included in the team, as he is focused on the ringette this season.
Played in the first court in the last games Michelle Karvinen wanted to focus on his club team Frölunda, according to Toivola. The Finnish striker played a significant role in lifting the Gothenburg team to the main league, when he scored 62+52=114 in 20 matches in the regular season.
A big loss for Finland was also the striker of the last World Cup’s most effective player Elisa Holopainen injury. The injury of Holopainen, who was injured in the Women’s League in January, required surgery.
According to Lehkonen, the losses were also reflected in Finland’s results.
– In the initial series, it was said that we have three top chains, when everyone was able to play evenly. If the USA and Canada had met in the opening series, it would have been noticed that we have three chains of four, Lehkonen began.
– The top field is completely missing. In even games, it shows when you fight evenly. There should be big players who take care of making the result.
Instead, Lehkonen even saw playing in the B group as an advantage in this situation.
– In this case, when there were players from the front row on the sidelines, it was good that they could try to play an attacking game. It wouldn’t necessarily have been good for this team to play against tough countries.
– The players talked all the time about the good atmosphere. A good atmosphere means you have to win games. It’s been quite nice there. In this case, it was good to play a little easier games.
Finland will next face Germany in the ranking match on Friday at 10 PM Finnish time. If Germany falls, Finland will play for the place in Group A against the winner of the match between Japan and Sweden.
Lehkonen believes that Finland will handle the Placement Matches and return to the A group.
– I don’t doubt it for a second. Yes, they take care of them. They got a tough game under now. Just by playing like that, Finland takes care of the rest of the games, there is no need to change anything. There’s never a bad day with that look.
In the semi-finals of the World Cup, the match pairs USA–Czech Republic and Canada–Switzerland will be seen. The world champion will be decided early on Monday Finnish time.