URL:http://www.thestar.com/thestar/editorial/sports/970407SPD5a_SP-NUCOX7.html Toronto Star Home Page April 7, 1997 Miller's savvy under fire cinches Olympic job [By Damien Cox] KITCHENER - OFFICIALLY, both of Canada's head coaching positions for next year's Winter Olympic hockey tournament are unfilled. Unofficially, one of them was nailed down last night. But just. Shannon Miller, the only female head coach in this six-team world championship tournament, will undoubtedly see the terms of her post with Canada's national women's team changed from volunteer to full-time - and paid - on May 1. Winning a world title under the excruciating weight of previous success and national expectations will be a dynamite addition to Miller's growing résumé. A thrilling, 4-3 overtime triumph over the U.S. in a marathon gold medal game gave the Canadian women their fourth consecutive global championship, and clinched Miller's job as head coach. A loss, and team officials would have had to decide whether she offered the best chance for gold in Nagano. After all, Canadian Hockey officials could have given her the full-time post prior to this tournament, but chose to evaluate her work under fire. Clearly - and this is no slight to Miller - there are men who would bring more experience and know-how to the job. But the politically correct thing to do was to give a woman every opportunity to run the national women's program. Last night was the acid test for Miller, and for chunks of the game the Americans seemed more cohesive, mounted a better power play and seemed to hold their composure better. On the blue line, the U.S. women were dynamite, particularly Chris Bailey, Tara Mounsey and Kelly O'Leary. Miller runs the bench, and has to take responsibility for an embarrassing Canuck line change while penalty killing in the second period that gave the Americans a bizarre 3-on-0 break. She seemed to be getting outcoached by U.S. bench boss Ben Smith, who has gobs more experience. But in the overtime session, it was all Canada. Miller had her squad brimming with the confidence of a world champion from the moment the fourth period began, and used every opportunity to get Hayley Wickenheiser on the ice which helped pay off in the winning score by Nancy Drolet. Coaches get a feel for certain players in tight games, and Miller's heart must have sunk when the bullish Wickenheiser took a truly dumb slashing penalty two minutes into OT. But Canada killed that off, and instead of benching the 18-year-old Wickenheiser, Miller kept deploying her. When Drolet finally ended the match by pushing a loose puck over the goal line, it was with Wickenheiser crashing the crease and overwhelming standout U.S. netminder Erin Whitten. Coaching is going to play a major role in deciding which of these two countries comes away with Olympic gold next February. The women's game is developing quickly, but last night's game displayed shortcomings in shooting the puck, generating scoring opportunities off the rush, and nuances of the game like drop passes. The country that makes the most strides in those areas in the coming months will triumph in Japan. Miller has shown an ability to make tough choices, like cutting goaltender Manon Rhéaume, and cashed in on a risky hunch by using goalie Lesley Reddon last night instead of Danielle Dube, who had shut out the U.S. in the final of the Three Nation's Cup last fall. Replacing Miller, particularly with a man, would have been a political nightmare. Her feel for her team when it mattered most yesterday erased that troublesome possibility, and clinched her Olympic dream. _________________________________________________________________ Damien Cox's hockey column usually appears four times a week. Contents copyright © 1996, 1997, The Toronto Star. User interface, selection and arrangement copyright © 1996, 1997 Torstar Electronic Publishing Ltd.