International Ice Hockey Federation

Russia wins opener, 4-0

Russia wins opener, 4-0

Alexandrova blocks all 14 German shots

Published 02.04.2013 16:35 GMT-4 | Author Lia Codrington
Russia wins opener, 4-0
Russia's Yekaterina Solovyova #7 celebrates after scoring Team Russia's first goal of the game against Team Germany during preliminary round action at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/HHOF-IIHF Images)
Nadezhda Alexandrova, playing in her first game since 2009, blocked 14 shots to lead Russia to a 4-0 win over Germany to open the 2013 Women's World Championship in Ottawa.

NEPEAN – The Russians forced the Germans back on their heels right from the puck drop Tuesday afternoon, ultimately shutting them out 4-0 at the Nepean Sportsplex to kick off the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship.

Four different scoers counted for the winners, who controlled the neutral zone, dumping the puck down into the German end and winning the races to the corners all game long.

Germany started to feel the heat early on when forward Andrea Lanzl took a body-checking penalty at 7:23 of the opening period. The Russians used the man advantage to cycle the puck through the German end. A dangerous cross-ice pass from the left point made its way to the right faceoff circle, where a Russian forward was waiting, but a German stick knocked the puck off course.

Germany’s goaltender, Viona Herrer, stopped 11 shots in the opening period, allowing only one to get by her at 14:42. Iya Gavrilova passed the puck in front of the net to Yekaterina Solovyova, who tapped it home to make the score 1-0 for Russia.

That was the only lapse in the German’s tight defensive play in the first period. They blocked shots from everywhere. The period ended with German defenceman Tanja Eisenschmid hauling down a Russian forward driving to the net.

Russia started the period with a man advantage. They used it to cycle the puck through the German end, but they were unable to score. Germany got another good chance on the power play halfway through the period, but Russia took control of the puck and played shorthanded in the German end for the majority of the two minutes.

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As the teams took to the ice for the second frame, Germany’s Kerstin Spielberger kissed her stick three times. Her call for luck almost worked, with Spielberger making three strong rushes down the ice in the second period, but unable to capitalize on any of them.

The score remained 1-0 for Russia at the start of the third period. The Russians continued to dominate with their puck possession play, and Germany continued to block many of their shots.

Herrer, who received player of the game honours for her team, kept her team in the game until 12:18 into the third period when Russia started to run up the score. Russia’s Lyudmila Belyakova, standing almost at the goal line on Herrer’s right, fired the puck at the net. It snuck by short side and dribbled behind the line to give the Russians a much-needed two-goal cushion.

A minute later, Daria Gleissner of Germany took a body-checking penalty that only fuelled Russia’s attack. Halfway through the penalty, Yekaterina Smolentseva knocked the puck past Herrer with the help of Anna Shibanova and Yekaterina Smolina for Russia’s third goal.

Svetlana Tkachyova marked Russia’s fourth goal when she wired a shot from the point that bounced off Herrer’s pads and trickled into the net.

LIA CODRINGTON

 

 

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