Way too many observers had asked Raty to find a final Winter months Game hurrah

Finland comes into the latest 2022 Olympic women’s hockey tournament just like the defending tan medalists regarding both 2018 Wintertime Games into the Southern Korea and the 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Ladies’ World Tournament into the Canada. Songs pretty quick, best? But there is a great deal more right here than just suits the attention on the Nordic country that is 3rd on the IIHF Ladies’ Community Positions.

This might be a team within the changeover significantly less than Pasi Mustonen, who will act as head advisor during the his 2nd and last Olympics. Childhood is actually front and middle. The new Beijing lineup, launched with the 20 January, enjoys an impressive 13 Olympic first-timers, and seven skaters created adopting the 12 months 2000.

It is very similar to the group one hit the frost when you look at the Calgary when you look at the August, but the exception out-of goalie Noora Raty – a several-date Olympian just who backstopped Finland to bronze in both 2010 and you will 2018 and you can a likely upcoming IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies because the good shocker.

Raty, 32, clashed with Mustonen publicly a year ago whenever she picked to run their hockey school in the Minnesota instead of get in on the Ladies Globes team. Still, brand new tenacious and you may competent seasoned played getting HPK Hameenlinna in 2010, is actually anticipate with the Olympic studies camp, and had currently offered to rejoin the Russian Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Rays after Beijing.

Mustonen, regardless if, can justify his questionable choice from the directing so you can Anni Keisala’s high results within the Calgary. The fresh new twenty four-year-dated Ilves netminder – a great positionally sound, chill battler – try titled Ideal Goalie and you can a tournament all-star on Women’s Worlds (1.43 GAA, 94.8 cut percentage, a couple of shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, 32, provides a good alternative, whilst the seasoned of 5 Ladies’ Globes don’t play at the the girl a few prior Olympics (2014, 2018).

The million-buck question for you is whether both Keisala or Raisanen can perform duplicating this new secret Raty showed during the record-while making set you back the newest silver medal at the 2019 Ladies’ Globes inside Espoo. Truth be told there, Raty produced 43 saves from inside the a beneficial cuatro-2 partial-finally disturb more Canada and something fifty conserves on the controversial 2-step 1 gold-medal shootout losses on the Us citizens.

For the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), just who, such Raisanen, sat to your sidelines at both the 2014 and you may 2018 Online game, nabs the next goalie destination. She substitute Jenna Silvonen, the fresh new 23-year-dated Mercyhurst School netminder just who watched into the Calgary.

Chief Jenni Hiirikoski headlines new Finnish blueline. Called Best Defender on last one or two Olympics and you can seven Ladies Globes, the fresh new swift-skating 34-year-old movie star performs in every problem. Hiirikoski averaged a competition-high of ice amount of time in Calgary. Other trick all the-to blueliners become Hiirikoski’s strong Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and Minttu Tuominen, that will subscribe Raty and you will give Susanna Tapani to your Vanke Rays immediately following Beijing.

Gorgeous finnish girls

A notable blueline omission are 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, a three-date Olympian just who captains Brynas Gavle however, is actually slowed down because of the injuries this year. That leaves new onus to the around three younger Kiekko-Espoo defenders to transmit second-height a couple of-means performances.

Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and you may Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), both 19, score 1-dos from inside the scoring one of Naisten Liiga defenders, when you are Ella Viitasuo, 25, (16+24=40) is actually third. So it Olympics marks Rantala’s elder-peak IIHF first. So it trio’s ability to withstand the fresh new forechecking of one’s United states superpowers could well be crucial.

Offensively, there isn’t any concern the top send distinct Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you can Michelle Karvinen tend to lead the way in which.

The newest explosive Nieminen, 22, led the new Ladies’ Worlds with half a dozen desires on the way to an enthusiastic all-superstar cluster berth. The new Lulea winger is 2nd during the SDHL rating (24+28=52) about Brynas Gavle’s Swiss star Lara Stalder. Tapani – a gifted athlete exactly who also dominates internationally when you look at the inline hockey and you may ringette – usually point together with her playmaking feel for much more requirements out away from Karvinen, an other veteran exactly who cracked inside the half a dozen helps but failed to light this new red light in the 2021 Ladies Planets.

Karvinen, 29, try typing this lady fourth Olympics and you will contributed the fresh new 2014 contest for the Sochi with five wants. New Danish-Finnish electricity pass possess occupied the net in the ten video game having Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) about Swedish very first division this season.

Following, the fresh margin anywhere between profit and you will overcome facing Canada together with You.S. will likely hinge regarding how much supplementary rating Mustonen becomes. Inside Calgary, new Canadians rallied to conquer Finland 5-3 about opener, while the U.S. blanked Finland 3-0 both in the team phase and partial-finals.

Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid so you can victory the woman 3rd straight Naisten Liiga scoring term, got their lone Ladies’ Globes goal up against Canada. Gritty Lulea send Viivi Vainikka’s just purpose are the past that during the a great 6-0 romp more Switzerland. Lulea seasoned Noora Tulus, a four-date Swedish winner, features set a different sort of personal profession SDHL full of requires it seasons (18), but have not obtained during the IIHF battle since 2017 Ladies Globes. Many of these forwards have to establish a great deal more in Beijing.

Rating out of precocious sixteen-year-dated Sanni Vanhanen, exactly who potted the 1-0 one-fourth-latest champ up against Czechia inside the Calgary, is a gorgeous extra. This new Finns also can predict price and you will a good checking on wants off Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and next-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.

The brand new Finns possess obviously broke up on their own from Group A competitors for example brand new ROC class and you will Switzerland. Brand new Russians last-made an IIHF podium toward 2016 Women’s Planets tan medal, given that Swiss haven’t claimed people steel while the surprising 2014 Olympic bronze medal in Sochi. It will be possible you to definitely Czechia, that has pushed Finland tough in two straight Women’s Globes one-fourth-finals now, will get twist the most significant counterthreat to possess third set.

For Mustonen’s crew, something lower than winning its country’s last Olympic tan medal off all-time from inside the Beijing could be a major frustration. Yet making the Olympic final the very first time of them all appears to be an extended take to. In either case, it would be another significant part of the new Finnish national team’s growth process.

Roster

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

Ahead Sanni Hakala, HV71 Jonkoping (SWE) Elisa Holopainen, Kiekko-Espoo Michelle sexy hot asia girls Karvinen, Malmo Redhawks (SWE) Julia Liikala, HIFK Helsinki Petra Nieminen, Lulea HF (SWE) Tanja Niskanen, KalPa Kuopio Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud Condition (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, People Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Rays (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo