URL:http://www2.torstar.com/sportswire/amhockey/HKY-World-Wmn-Game.html

SportsWire amhockey SportsWire INTO e-zine 

_________________________________________________________________

Late breaking SportsWire Story last updated on Sat Apr 5 21:40:29 EST
1997 
_________________________________________________________________


Russia 2, Norway 1 

- Asa Elving scored twice and had an assist, while Maria Rooth had a
goal and two assists as a depleted Swedish team defeated Switzerland
7-1 on Friday in the women's world hockey championship.

Russia, which defeated Norway 2-1 in Friday's late game, will
compete with the Swedes on Sunday for the fifth and final berth in
the 1998 Olympics, the first to include women's ice hockey.

Sweden, trying to stay in contention for the final berth in the
1998 Olympics, played without three injured starting forwards and
lost a fourth late in the second period when Malin Gustavsson hurt
her right leg.

``We played for them,'' said Anne Ferm, who also had two assists.
``We felt more aggressive, more intense than ever.''

Coach Bengt Ohlson moved defender Minna Dunder to forward and the
rest of the team turned it up a notch as left-winger Rooth scored
from a scramble in front of the Swiss net at 1:49 of the first
period. Team captain and right-winger Elving followed with a
short-handed goal less than seven minutes later.

A power-play goal by team captain Jeannette Marty got Switzerland
on the board at 1:09 of the second. But a flurry of neutral zone
turnovers ended at 15:49 when Rooth fed Erika Holst, who beat Swiss
goalie Patricia Sautter low on the glove side. Elving scored again
on a rebound at 3:38 of the third period.

Erika Holst, Kristina Begstrand and Gunilla Andersson added Swedish
goals.

In the late game, Ekaterina Pashkevitch scored the winner to keep
alive the Russian women's national team, which could be dismantled
if it fails to make the Olympics.

Five of the eight teams competing in the worlds will advance to the
1998 Olympics at Nagano. The host country, Japan, has a bye.

Canada, the United States, Finland and China, which earned Olympic
berths in preliminary play this week, play semifinal games today and
compete for medals on Sunday.

KITCHENER, Ont. (AP)

SportsWire amhockey SportsWire INTO e-zine