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SKILLS WORLDS APART IN WOMEN'S HOCKEY
  
Only U.S. team challenges Canadians
as six-team 1998 Olympic tourney looms
 
Tuesday, April 8, 1997
By Doug Smith
Canadian Press

The cheers for Canada's victory at the women's world hockey
championship have faded, but questions remain about the game and
Canada's place in it.

The disparity in skill level between the good (Canada and the United
States), the average (Finland) and the bad (Sweden, Russia, China,
Switzerland and Norway) is huge heading into the 1998 Nagano Olympics,
where women's hockey will be a medal sport.

Critics wonder if women's hockey has the depth to warrant a place on
the world stage, given the foregone conclusion that the top three
teams are destined for medals.

Others say the Olympics are just what the game needs to raise its
profile worldwide. Six teams will take part in Nagano; an eight-team
tournament is planned for 2002 in Salt Lake City.

"It's true there are two very different divisions: The three best
teams are way ahead of the others," said Swedish coach Bengt Ohlson,
speaking of Canada, the United States and Finland. "But we have to
start somewhere."

And for the other teams, that somewhere is chasing Canada, although
the gap is closing considerably.

The Americans are as fast, as strong and as skilled as the Canadians
and could just as easily have won Sunday's overtime thriller.

"This was not easy," said Canadian coach Shannon Miller, a Calgary
police officer who is expected to get serious consideration as the
coach of the 1998 Olympic team. "A lot of people think Canada is
expected to win every gold medal--no way.

"We have to keep improving in every area; [Sunday's] win was from
working 14 hours a day and being prepared."

There is room for improvement.

"They could shoot harder, have a quicker release and techniques like
shooting off their front foot could improve," assistant coach Daniele
Sauvageau said. "From the Three Nations Cup [last October in Ottawa]
to here, the players improved at least 30 per cent and for the next
year it's fair to ask for an improvement of about 20 per cent in their
technical games."

The Olympic preparation period begins in earnest in September when the
Canadian team meets for a training camp. Exhibition series are
scheduled against the United States, Finland and, perhaps, Japan.

Financial support also should increase, from corporate sponsors
wishing to associate with a growing sport and from the Olympic
committee. Many of the players already receive minimum stipends from
Sport Canada, ranging from $800 a month for A-carded, veteran athletes
to $400 for players with less international experience.

There's no question local fans appreciated the women's efforts. The
gold-medal game drew a standing-room-only crowd of more than 6,300 at
Memorial Auditorium and attendance at round-robin games routinely
topped 4,000 for matches involving Canada.

Sunday's final was full of solid hits--although open-ice bodychecking
is technically illegal--with strong skating and fine goaltending. It
was a far cry from some of the round-robin routs between the good and
the bad; it was a test between two evenly matched teams playing a
distinct game.

"The answer is not to copy men's hockey," Finnish coach Rauno Korpi
said. "What does it mean, female monsters on the ice? Nobody wants to
see that. The game is a beautiful game."

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