Unnecessary perceiver got asked Raty to get your final Winter Video game hurrah

Finland comes into the brand new 2022 Olympic women’s hockey contest as the defending tan medalists out of the 2018 Cold weather Online game into the Southern Korea while the 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Women’s Business Championship within the Canada. Musical fairly easy, proper? But there is way more right here than just match the attention toward Nordic nation one to consist 3rd regarding IIHF Ladies’ Globe Positions.

This is exactly a group when you look at the change around Pasi Mustonen, that will act as direct mentor from the their 2nd and you can past Olympics. Youthfulness is actually side and you can middle. The brand new Beijing lineup, launched into 20 January, provides a whopping 13 Olympic basic-timers, and additionally 7 skaters produced adopting the year 2000.

It is rather just like the team you to definitely strike the ice in Calgary in the August, nevertheless the exception to this rule out-of goalie Noora Raty – a several-go out Olympian which backstopped Finland in order to bronze in both 2010 and you can 2018 and you can a probably future IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies as the an excellent shocker.

Raty, thirty two, clashed having Mustonen publicly a year ago whenever she picked to operate this lady hockey college or university for the Minnesota in place of get in on the Ladies Globes team. Nonetheless, the fresh new tenacious and you will competent veteran played getting HPK Hameenlinna in 2010, is actually greeting for the Olympic knowledge go camping, along with currently wanted to rejoin the latest Russian Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Rays after Beijing.

Mustonen, even when, can also be validate his debatable decision because of the pointing so you’re able to Anni Keisala’s high show inside the Calgary. The newest twenty-four-year-old Ilves netminder – a beneficial positionally sound, cool battler – is named Greatest Goalie and you can a tournament all of the-superstar in the Women’s Worlds (1.43 GAA, 94.8 cut commission, one or two shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, 32, provides a capable option, whilst the veteran of 5 Ladies’ Worlds failed to gamble from the the woman several prior Olympics (2014, 2018).

The newest million-buck question for you is if or not either Keisala or Raisanen can perform replicating the fresh secret Raty showed at history-making go to the brand new silver medal at the 2019 Ladies’ Planets from inside the Espoo. Here, Raty produced 43 conserves into the an excellent 4-2 partial-latest distressed more than Canada plus one fifty conserves in the debatable 2-step 1 silver-medal shootout losings for the Americans.

Into the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), whom, for example Raisanen, seated to the sidelines at the both 2014 and you will 2018 Video game, nabs the third goalie place. She substitute Jenna Silvonen, new 23-year-dated Mercyhurst University netminder whom watched inside Calgary.

Captain Jenni Hiirikoski headlines this new Finnish blueline. Named Greatest Defender within history a few Olympics and you will seven Ladies’ Worlds, the fresh swift-skating 34-year-old superstar performs in just about any situation. Hiirikoski averaged an event-most of freeze time in Calgary. Most other key the-doing blueliners is Hiirikoski’s robust Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and you can Minttu Tuominen, who will sign-up Raty and you can send Susanna Tapani to the Vanke Radiation after Beijing.

Breathtaking finnish people

A noteworthy blueline omission are 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, good about three-go out Olympian whom captains Brynas Gavle but was slowed down by the injuries this season. One puts the latest onus into the about three young Kiekko-Espoo defenders to deliver next-height a few-means performances.

Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and you can Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), each other 19, rating step one-dos when you look at the rating among Naisten Liiga defenders, if you find yourself Ella Viitasuo, twenty five, (16+24=40) was 3rd. This Olympics marks Rantala’s elderly-level IIHF introduction. This trio’s capacity to withstand the latest forechecking of North american superpowers would-be pivotal.

Offensively, there is absolutely no kissbrides.com visite site concern the major send line of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you will Michelle Karvinen often lead just how.

The new explosive Nieminen, twenty two, led new Ladies’ Planets having six specifications en route to help you an enthusiastic all-star people berth. The Lulea winger is actually second for the SDHL scoring (24+28=52) at the rear of Brynas Gavle’s Swiss superstar Lara Stalder. Tapani – a talented runner exactly who together with dominates in the world for the inline hockey and you may ringette – commonly aim together playmaking experiences for lots more desires aside out of Karvinen, a fellow veteran whom broken inside the half a dozen support but didn’t white the brand new red light within 2021 Ladies Globes.

Karvinen, 31, are entering the girl last Olympics and you may contributed the fresh 2014 event inside Sochi having five requires. This new Danish-Finnish fuel submit has occupied the internet into the 10 game that have Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) on the Swedish basic section this present year.

Following, the newest margin ranging from victory and beat against Canada and the You.S. may depend exactly how much secondary rating Mustonen becomes. Inside Calgary, the fresh Canadians rallied to beat Finland 5-step 3 from the opener, since the You.S. blanked Finland step 3-0 in both the team stage and also the partial-finals.

Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid to help you winnings the girl third straight Naisten Liiga scoring name, had her solitary Ladies Planets purpose up against Canada. Gritty Lulea pass Viivi Vainikka’s just purpose are the very last one into the an effective 6-0 romp over Switzerland. Lulea seasoned Noora Tulus, a several-day Swedish champion, has put a unique private occupation SDHL stuffed with requires so it season (18), but has not scored for the IIHF race since the 2017 Ladies Planets. Each one of these forwards need create more into the Beijing.

Scoring from precocious 16-year-old Sanni Vanhanen, exactly who potted the new step 1-0 one-fourth-last champ facing Czechia when you look at the Calgary, could be a lovely extra. The newest Finns also can expect rates and you may an effective examining regarding the likes of Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you will next-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.

Brand new Finns have certainly split up on their own off Classification An opponents including this new ROC class and you will Switzerland. The fresh Russians last-made a keen IIHF podium into 2016 Women’s Planets bronze medal, since the Swiss have not acquired people metal as alarming 2014 Olympic bronze medal during the Sochi. It’s possible that Czechia, that has pressed Finland hard in two consecutive Ladies Worlds one-fourth-finals now, may pose the largest counterthreat getting third place.

Getting Mustonen’s crew, things less than effective its country’s next Olympic bronze medal out of in history for the Beijing is a major disappointment. Yet , making the Olympic finally for the first time ever appears like an extended take to. Anyway, it’s going to be another significant step in the newest Finnish national team’s growth procedure.

Lineup

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

Forwards 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. Cloud State (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Group 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