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The Record

CANADA'S DROLET SINKS U.S.

By Christine Rivet Record staff
Smashed face-first into the boards by Team U.S.A. defender Vicki
Movsessian, Canadian centre Nancy Drolet picked herself up, dusted
herself off and scored her third goal of the game. It was the overtime
winner as Canada clipped the Americans 4-3 to secure it's fourth
consecutive Women's World Hockey Championship.

"When I got back to our bench after the hit, I said to our
physiotherapist (Carrie Smith), "Just put me back on my feet,"' said
the Drummondville, Que. product who sent the sold-out crowd 6,247 at
Kitchener's Dom Cardillo Arena into a frenzy when she banged in the
championship goal on Sunday night, at the 12:59 mark of overtime.

"I gave 100 per cent of myself to this team. I have no regrets. Today
was my turn."

Earlier, Finland beat China 3-0 to win a fourth straight bronze medal,
scoring all its goals in the last seven minutes with the tournament's
leading goal scorer, Rikka Nieminen, collecting her fifth goal in five
games.

The dog-tired Canadians were outplayed throughout most of Sunday's
match, showing a lack of poise and discipline. The Americans battled
back three times to tie.

Swiss referee Sandra Dombrowski was the centre of attention, missing
several key calls, including Drolet's second goal which was almost
certainly swatted past netminder Erin Whitten with a high stick.

But the Canadians didn't get off that lightly. Dombrowski booked the
Canucks with eight minor penalties to the Americans' seven.

In the overtime period, Dombrowski issued a curious two-minute minor
to Canada's Hayley Wickenheiser for slashing.

If that wasn't enough, the referee nabbed Americans Angela Ruggiero
for interference and then Movsessian for boarding Drolet, giving the
Canadians a two-man advantage for 57 seconds in the wild and woolly
overtime.

The International Ice Hockey Federation raised a few eyebrows last
month when it announced an all-female crew would work these
championships.

Clearly, some of the women officiating the games in Kitchener were in
over their heads.

That point wasn't lost on the Americans -- even though Drolet's winner
came at even strength.

"I think that it should be the most qualified people (officiating),"
said American forward Katie King of Salem, N.H., who scored in the
third to send the game into overtime and added an assist on Sunday. "I
don't really care whether it's women or men. I mean if you have
unqualified people just because they are women, that's not right.
That's not the way it should be ... especially for a game like this."

The Canadians weren't overjoyed with Dombrowski's performance either.

Said Canada's head coach Shannon Miller: "The only comment I have
about the officiating is that I hope we have the best referee in
Nagano (at next year's Olympics)."

Team Canada captain Stacy Wilson fed Drolet with an easy one-timer at
the doorstep to open the scoring in the first period.

American winger Alana Blahoski levelled things early in the second on
a seemingly harmless dribbler from the slot that fooled goalie Lesley
Reddon.

Angela James' dipping shot from the blueline restored the Canadians'
one-goal lead. But the wheeling American powerplay connected as
Stephanie O'Sullivan was left unchecked beside Reddon late in the
second.

Sunday's finale punctuated a tournament attendance record of some
50,530 tickets sold at the Cardillo Arena for the eight-team,
week-long event. An additional 8,243 spectators watched the
tournament's satellite games in London, Brampton, Mississauga, North
York, Hamilton and Brantford.

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