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Old hat U.S. women wrap up top seed with 5-0 shutout of FinlandPosted: Saturday February 16, 2002 3:25 PMUpdated: Sunday February 17, 2002 4:11 AM
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) -- The United States led by five goals with only 10 seconds left in the game, and Natalie Darwitz was zooming toward center ice, calling for the pass that would send her off on a breakaway. She already had a hat trick. "If she had a chance to get 10 goals by herself, she probably would," defenseman Andrea Kilbourne said Saturday after the United States beat Finland 5-0 to clinch a top seed in the medal round. "She doesn't feel sorry for anybody. That's what a real goal-scorer is." Just 18 years old and an Olympic first-timer, Darwitz is showing that's exactly what she is. She scored twice at even strength and once shorthanded to give her six goals in three games and take over the Olympic scoring lead from linemate Cammi Granato, who had a hat trick in Thursday's game against China. "It doesn't surprise me," said Granato, the 30-year-old U.S. captain who has been on the team since the first world champion was crowned in 1990. "She's just packed with talent." Kilbourne scored her first Olympic goal, and Jenny Potter also scored as the United States won its 34th in a row to set up a semifinal matchup with Sweden, which lost 11-0 to Canada later Saturday. Sara DeCosta stopped 21 shots for her third Olympic shutout. Finnish forward Hanne Sikio also was on that team. Unable to stop Darwitz, Sikio was left trying to lure Darwitz to the college after she graduates this summer from Eagan (Minn.) High School. "That's a good idea," Sikio said. "Natalie would be welcome at UMD, for sure." The Americans have never lost in international competition except to Canada. But they figured to face their first real test in Finland, which has several players with NCAA experience and an Olympic bronze medal from Nagano. Finland has also tied the United States twice, and nine of their 22 games have been decided by a goal or fewer, including four of the previous six. Finland's 21 shots were more than the American goalies faced in their previous two games combined. But DeCosta was strong again, making up for the absence of defenseman Sue Merz, who was out with the flu. "The tempo today was extremely fast," said defenseman Angela Ruggiero, who missed practice with the flu earlier in the week. "This is the best competition we faced, so far." Darwitz made it 1-0 at 11:09 of the first when Granato led A.J. Mleczko, who cut across the ice between the circles and backhanded it to Darwitz cutting across the net. She brought it to her forehand and put it past Puputti. The Finns mounted the first sustained attack against the Americans in the games while on a first-period power play, but Ruggiero picked up the puck coming out of the penalty box and had only one defender to beat. Emma Laaksonen took Ruggiero's skates out from under her, but she managed to pass to Darwitz, who was coming down the right side. Darwitz slid it under Puputti's pads before crashing into the boards with her second goal of the game. In the second, Darwitz took advantage of traffic in front of net and backhanded the puck to make it 4-0. Finland's best chance came midway through the third period before Mleczko swept and then kicked a loose puck out of the crease to protect the shutout.
Kilbourne deflected a shot from Ruggiero through the goalie's
legs with 5:42 left to play to make it 5-0.
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