URL:http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyWomen/apr3_swe_usa.html April 3, 1997 U.S. ROUTS SWEDEN  LONDON, Ont. (AP) -- Sweden's bright yellow jerseys and helmets made the players appear like ducks atop the ice. They were ducks all right, sitting pretty for the picking.  The United States outshot Sweden 73-4 in a 10-0 rout in a Women's World Ice Hockey Championship game Thursday night, clinching an Olympic berth for the Americans.  Karen Bye scored three goals, Cammi Granato had two, Karen King, Lisa Brown-Miller, Sandra Whyte, Shelley Looney and Tara Mounsey added one each.  "We put the pressure on ourselves for this game by tying Finland," Bye said. "It's a huge relief for our team to make it to the medal round."  The U.S. team meets China in the semifinals on Saturday. Canada plays Finland. All four of those nations clinched spots at the Nagano Games next February; the fifth place team also will qualify.  The United States had to win by at least nine goals to clinch first place in the pool. That made coach Ben Smith uncomfortable.  "It's definitely the kind of situation where the score makes it very difficult," he said. "The main thing was to get back on the right track."  The Americans did that quickly when they took a 4-0 lead in the first period on scores by King, Brown-Miller, Granato and Bye.  Granato got her second of the game and fifth in three games just 20 seconds into the second period. Whyte beat starting goalie Annaca Ahlen 17 seconds later.  Ahlen was pulled midway through the period in hopes a fresh goalie, Lotta Gottesson, would do better. But the damage was long done.  The Americans have been second to Canada in all three IIHF championships.  In other games, Riika Nieminen scored three goals and assisted on two others to lead Finland to a 10-0 rout of Norway. The Finns managed 61 shots.  Cassie Campbell scored two goals and was named Canada's player of the game in a 7-1 victory over China. Lori Dupuis also had two goals. Canada has now outscored its opposition 21-2 in three round-robin games. SLAM! _________________________________________________________________ CANOE home Copyright (c) 1997, Canoe Limited Partnership. All rights reserved.