URL:http://www2.torstar.com/sportswire/amhockey/HKY-Women-Worlds.html

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  Late breaking SportsWire Story last updated on Sat Apr 5 21:40:29 EST
  1997 
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Canada 2 Finland 1 

- A short trip down memory lane and some last-minute heroics
preserved Canada's hopes for a fourth straight women's world hockey
championship.

An inspirational video which awoke Canada after a listless first
period and Vicky Sunohara's goal with 24 seconds left in the game
gave Canada a 2-1 win over a gritty Finland team in the tournament
semifinals Saturday afternoon.

Sunohara's goal, a first-class deke in close after taking a
picture-perfect pass from Geraldine Heaney, kept alive Canada's
unbeaten streak through four world championships and earned the team
a date with either the United States or China in tonight's gold
medal game (8 p.m. EDT, TSN).

``We were all pumped up and there were tears in our eyes,''
Sunohara said of the impromptu video presentation, three minutes 58
seconds of highlights from past championships shown between the
first and second period.

``You could feel the emotion in the dressing room after that.''

Outshot 10-8 and outplayed for most of the first period, Canada
needed some sort of inspiration. Having won every game they've ever
played in four world championships, a defeat would have been
unthinkable.

``We just tried to stir them up and light their fire,'' said coach
Shannon Miller.

It worked.

Canada, which trailed 1-0 after one period on a goal by Finland's
Kirsi Hanninen, got the tying goal from Hayley Wickenheiser of
Calgary in the second period to set the stage for the dramatic
game-winner from Sunohara, a native of Scarborough, Ont.

``I actually think we came out and we didn't show enough respect
for the opponents in the first period,'' said Miller.

Canada's slow start might have been caused by the lack of
competition in three preliminary round games. Canada out-scored the
opposition 22-2 in three games and coasted to easy victories.

``There's no excuse,'' said Miller. ``But, without a doubt, when
you're not challenged that much . . . you develop a couple of bad
habits along the way.''

Finland, which has now lost to Canada in the semifinals of four
straight world championships, came up with its best performance of
the week. After tying the United States in the preliminary round and
playing Canada so tough, the Finns are odds-on favorites for a medal
at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

``For us, it's a sign we're on the right track,'' said coach Rauno
Korpi.

Canadian goalie Lesley Reddon of Fredericton came up with several
solid saves with the game tied, something she didn't have to do at
any earlier point in the tournament.

``I tried to keep the team in the game as long as I could,'' said
Reddon, who made a fine save on a late-game two-on-one break. ``It's
all part of the challenge of being a goalie. That's what you play
for - situations like that.''

KITCHENER, Ont. (CP)

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