URL:http://www.thestar.com/thestar/editorial/sports/970401SPC1_SP-NUADAMS1.html Toronto Star Home Page April 1, 1997 Canadians rip holes in Swiss By Alan Adams - Toronto Star Sports Reporter KITCHENER - It was a case of both teams coming away satisfied, although one was soundly dumped 6-0. [photo] MIRKO PETRICEVIC / CP GRAND OPENING: Switzerland's Mirjam Baechler, left, and Canada's Karen Nystrom jostle in front of Swiss net. Canada scored 6-0 win in opener. Canada dominated Switzerland from the opening faceoff at the women's world hockey championships last night, and had it not been for a brilliant 55-save effort by goalie Patricia Sautter the score would have been far worse. ``For the most part, the offensive game was very good,'' Canadian coach Shannon Miller said. Swiss coach France Mantour could hardly contain her delight. ``We are very happy,'' said Mantour, a former member of the Canadian women's squad, who has been in Switzerland for the last three years. ``If you forget the last two minutes, it was an awesome game. The team is very happy.'' Canada doubled its 3-0 cushion in the last two minutes. While Sautter did everything but stand on her head, Canadian counterpart Danielle Dubé could have read a book before she faced a shot for the first time. For the longest while, it seemed that icing the puck was part and parcel of the Swiss game plan. Dubé made her first save 26 minutes and 25 seconds in, on a slapshot by Kathrin Lehmann. A small but loud crowd of Swiss supporters, part of the announced attendance of 3,889, got their cow bells ringing in celebration. They were even louder when the Swiss finally managed to force their first faceoff in the Canadian end, late in the game. Dubé, who finished with a five-save shutout, was asked how she kept sharp. ``I like to do a play-by-play in my mind, and I added a couple of shots on me even though they were not there,'' she said. The Canadians, seeking their fourth straight world title, were vastly superior in every facet of the game, especially puck control. There were times when the Canucks worked give-and-go plays or circled the puck down low with the precision of a Swiss watch. Scoring for Canada were Vicky Sunohara of Scarborough, Hayley Wickenheiser of Calgary, Danielle Goyotte of St-Nazaire, Que., Nancy Drolet of Drummondville, Que., Angela James of Thornhill and Rebecca Fahey of Sackville, N.B. Sunohara opened the scoring at 4:30 of the first period on a low wrist shot from the high slot. Wickenheiser doubled the ante at 1:25 of the second when she scored on a breakaway, while Goyotte banged in a rebound at 12:04 of the middle period. Drolet netted her own rebound at 18:28 of the third and James followed suit at 19:36 and Fahey at 19:51 to finish the rout. ``It was a pride thing finishing strong,'' Miller said. In other games, the United States beat Norway 7-0, China beat Russia 6-2, and Finland dumped Sweden 5-0. ------------------- Contents copyright © 1996, 1997, The Toronto Star. User interface, selection and arrangement copyright © 1996, 1997 Torstar Electronic Publishing Ltd.