Finland comes into the latest 2022 Olympic ladies’ hockey contest because shielding bronze medalists out-of both the 2018 Cold temperatures Video game in the South Korea and also the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Ladies Industry Title inside the Canada. Tunes pretty simple, correct? But there is significantly more right here than simply meets the attention on Nordic nation you to consist third in the IIHF Ladies World Ranking.

This can be a group inside transition less than Pasi Mustonen, that will serve as direct advisor at the their next and history Olympics. Youngsters is actually front and you will centre. New Beijing roster, established to your 20 January, possess an impressive 13 Olympic first-timers, plus eight skaters created adopting the year 2000.

It is very just like the squad you to definitely hit the ice in the Calgary from inside the August, although exception out-of goalie Noora Raty – a four-big date Olympian just who backstopped Finland so you’re able to tan in 2010 and you can 2018 and you will a most likely future IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies once the a shocker.

Raty, 32, clashed with Mustonen in public places a year ago whenever she opted for to run her hockey college into the Minnesota unlike get in on the Ladies Worlds party. However, the fresh new tenacious and you will competent seasoned played getting HPK Hameenlinna this present year, is greeting on Olympic studies camp, and had already wanted to rejoin the Russian Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Radiation once Beijing.

Mustonen, although, is justify his controversial choice of the directing so you can Anni Keisala’s high overall performance for the Calgary. This new 24-year-dated Ilves netminder – a great positionally voice, cool battler – are called Most useful Goalie and an event all of the-celebrity within Ladies Globes (1.43 GAA, 94.8 conserve percentage, a few shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, thirty-two, brings a good option, although the veteran of 5 Ladies Worlds failed to enjoy on her two previous Olympics (2014, 2018).

The new mil-dollar real question is whether sometimes Keisala or Raisanen can perform replicating this new magic Raty demonstrated during the background-and also make set you back brand new silver medal at the 2019 Ladies’ Worlds into the Espoo. There, Raty made 43 saves in the a great cuatro-dos semi-latest upset more than Canada and another fifty conserves throughout the debatable 2-step 1 silver-medal shootout loss with the People in america.

During the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), whom, eg Raisanen, seated to your sidelines at the the 2014 and you will 2018 Game, nabs the 3rd goalie place. She replaces Jenna Silvonen, the 23-year-old Mercyhurst College or university netminder whom noticed from inside the Calgary.

Head Jenni Hiirikoski statements brand new Finnish blueline. Titled Greatest Defender on past several Olympics and you may seven Women’s Worlds, brand new quick-skating 34-year-dated superstar performs in just about any condition. Hiirikoski averaged a contest-most of frost time in Calgary. Most other key most of the-around blueliners are Hiirikoski’s robust Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and you can Minttu Tuominen, who’ll sign up Raty and you will pass Susanna Tapani towards the Vanke Radiation just after Beijing.

Breathtaking finnish ladies

A notable blueline omission was 33-year-dated Rosa Lindstedt, a around three-date Olympian exactly who captains Brynas Gavle but try slowed down because of the wounds this current year. You to puts brand new onus with the about three more youthful Kiekko-Espoo defenders to deliver 2nd-peak several-method shows.

Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), each other 19, rank step 1-2 for the scoring among Naisten Liiga defenders, when you find yourself Ella Viitasuo, twenty five, (16+24=40) try third. So it Olympics marks Rantala’s senior-peak IIHF debut. That it trio’s ability to withstand new forechecking of your own Us superpowers might possibly be crucial.

Offensively, there isn’t any concern the major pass distinctive line of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you may Michelle Karvinen will head ways.

New volatile Nieminen, 22, added new Ladies Worlds with half a dozen needs on the way to a keen all-superstar party berth. This new Lulea winger is actually 2nd from inside the SDHL scoring (24+28=52) about Brynas Gavle’s Swiss star Lara Stalder. Tapani – a gifted athlete who along with reigns over globally when you look at the inline hockey and ringette – have a tendency to aim with her playmaking experiences for more desires out off Karvinen, a fellow experienced exactly who chipped in half dozen facilitate but did not white the newest red light from the 2021 Women’s Worlds.

Karvinen, 29, is entering the girl fourth Olympics and you will led the latest 2014 event for the Sochi that have four needs. The newest Danish-Finnish electricity submit has occupied the net within the ten game with Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) regarding the Swedish very first department in 2010.

After that, the latest margin anywhere between profit and you may defeat facing Canada therefore the You.S. might depend about how precisely far additional scoring Mustonen gets. In Calgary, the fresh new Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-step three regarding the opener, once the U.S. blanked Finland step 3-0 in the group stage together with semi-finals.

Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid so you can profit her third upright Naisten Liiga scoring term, got the woman lone Ladies Planets purpose against Canada. Gritty Lulea pass Viivi Vainikka’s just goal is actually the very last that from inside the a beneficial 6-0 romp more than Switzerland. Lulea veteran Noora Tulus, a four-go out Swedish champ, has actually lay a different sort of individual occupation SDHL saturated in requirements that it year (18), however, hasn’t scored from inside the IIHF battle once the 2017 Women’s Globes. Each one of these forward need to produce alot more in the Beijing.

Rating out of precocious 16-year-old Sanni Vanhanen, whom potted the step one-0 one-fourth-final champion facing Czechia from inside the Calgary, is a pleasant bonus. The fresh Finns may predict speed and a good checking throughout the likes out-of Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you can next-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.

The fresh Finns keeps clearly split themselves out of https://kissbrides.com/japanese-women/okinawas/ Group An opponents such as for example the newest ROC group and you can Switzerland. The fresh new Russians last-made an IIHF podium into 2016 Ladies Worlds tan medal, as Swiss have not claimed any material because stunning 2014 Olympic bronze medal for the Sochi. You’ll be able you to definitely Czechia, which includes pushed Finland hard in two straight Ladies Worlds one-fourth-finals today, could possibly get pose the greatest counterthreat to possess third put.

To own Mustonen’s team, something lower than successful the state’s next Olympic tan medal off all-time during the Beijing could be a primary frustration. But really deciding to make the Olympic last the very first time of them all seems like a long test. In any event, it is another essential step up the fresh Finnish national team’s maturation process.

Roster

Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, University from Vermont (NCAA) Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo Ronja Savolainen, Lulea Gavle (SWE) Minnamari Tuominen, Kiekko-Espoo Ella Viitasuo, Kiekko-Espoo

Forward 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, Team Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Radiation (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo