Historic win over Team USA takes hockey women close to World Championships final

4-2 defeat to Canada leaves Finnish women to await outcome of Canada-USA encounter

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Finland's national women's ice hockey team pulled off a historic upset on Tuesday, winning for the first time in a major tournament against the United States, through an overtime goal from Heidi Pelttari, the only score of a tight game.
      Pelttari's 1-0 strike after 3:42 of the first period of overtime broke the deadlock in the Qualifying Round match, and gave the Finnish women a shot at a place in the final of the 2008 World Championships, being played in Harbin, China.
      Aside from Pelttari, the heroine of the hour was goaltender Noora Räty, who made 30 saves in securing a shut-out against the powerful American side. Räty was justly voted MVP for the game.
     
Wednesday's match against the reigning World Champions Canada brought the Finns back down to earth somewhat, as they slid to a 4-2 defeat.
      The second period proved fatal for the Finnish chances, as Canada scored three times without reply.
      Nevertheless, even with this loss behind them the Finnish women could still progress to a rematch with the Canadians in the final, depending upon the outcome of the last qualifying round game, when Canada meet the USA on Thursday.
      If the Canadians win - and in last year's final they dismissed Team USA 5-1 - then the Finns will progress into the final for the first-ever time.
     
Until now, the best the Finnish women have managed to achieve from the World Championships is a bronze medal. They have several of those - seven in all since the World Championships were first held in 1990.
      Last year the Finns lost out in the bronze match to Sweden and were placed fourth.
      In every World Championships final so far it has been Canada and the USA who have decided the gold and silver medals, with Canada having won nine times out of ten.


Links:
  International Ice Hockey Federation
  2008 2008 Women´s World Ice Hockey Championships (Wikipedia)

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