URL:http://www.globeandmail.com/docs/news/19970402/Sport/SWOME.html GLOBEnet CANADIAN WOMEN ROMP AT WORLD HOCKEY TOURNEY Wednesday, April 2, 1997 By Neil Stevens Canadian Press After ripping Russia 9-1 last night, the Canadian women's hockey team now prepares for its first serious test of the world championship tournament against a strong Chinese team tomorrow night. Canada and China, which beat Switzerland 11-3, are tied atop the Pool A standing with 2-0 records as they head toward the showdown. So far, Canada hasn't been challenged. Against Russia, goals were supplied by Jayna Hefford of Kingston; Torontonians Vicky Sunohara, Laura Schuler and Karen Nystrom; Luce Letendre of Brossard, Que.; Stacy Wilson of Moncton; Hayley Wickenheiser of Calgary; Danielle Goyette of Saint-Nazaire, Que., and France St. Louis of Montreal. The win, before a near-capacity crowd of 6,003, improved Canada's overall record to 17-0 in four world tournaments, during which the Canadians have outscored their opponents 151-19. Canada outshot Russia 56-7 last night. In Pool B games yesterday, it was: United States 3, Finland 3; and Sweden 2, Norway 2. The Americans and Finns are tied for first place with three points each. The top five of the eight teams get berths in the 1998 Winter Olympics. Canada led 3-0 at the first intermission. The reeling Russians needed the break after being outshot 23-0. The score could have been more one-sided, too, because Canada had two goals disallowed in the period. Hefford, buzzing the Russian net on a power play, slid a shot from a bad angle that barely got over the line at 11:06. Sunohara took a return pass from Cassie Campbell of Brampton, Ont., on a give-and-go play, deked Russian goalie Irina Gashennikova and slipped the puck into a corner of the net at 14:19. And Letendre smashed home a drive from close range at 19:49. One almost felt sorry for Lesley Reddon. Canada's goaltender had eagerly anticipated facing the Russians after getting the starting assignment from coach Shannon Miller, but the Mississauga native was relegated to spectator status by her goal-hungry and hard-checking teammates. The score was 6-0 after two periods. The Russians finally got a shot on Reddon 3:05 into the second. Wilson scored off a rebound at 3:52. Schuler lifted a shot under the Russian crossbar while killing a penalty at 4:57, and Wickenheiser whipped one in at 16:54 after a pass by Angela James of Toronto from behind the Russian net. In the third, Nystrom blazed a slapshot past Gashennikova on a power play at 2:53. Goyette slid in a wrist shot on a power play at 4:44, and St. Louis slapped in a long shot at 5:49. Maria Misroplan scored for Russia on a power play at 8:43. Her long shot changed direction off a leg and Reddon didn't have a chance. Copyright (c) 1997, The Globe and Mail Company ® All rights reserved.