Finland comes into this new 2022 Olympic women’s hockey competition because the safeguarding tan medalists from both 2018 Wintertime Game in Southern Korea as well as the 2021 IIHF Freeze Hockey Ladies Industry Championship into the Canada. Songs very quick, best? But there’s way more right here than just suits the attention towards Nordic country one to lies 3rd throughout the IIHF Ladies’ Business Ranking.

This can be a team from inside the change under Pasi Mustonen, who can serve as lead advisor during the their next and last Olympics. Youngsters was front side and hub. This new Beijing roster, announced on the 20 January, possess a massive 13 Olympic first-timers, including 7 skaters born following seasons 2000.

It is extremely just like the group you to definitely smack the frost for the Calgary when you look at the August, nevertheless the different out-of goalie Noora Raty – a several-go out Olympian just who backstopped Finland in order to bronze in both 2010 and you can 2018 and you will a likely coming IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies because the a great shocker.

Raty, thirty two, clashed that have Mustonen in public places this past year whenever she decided to go with to operate the woman hockey college when you look at the Minnesota as opposed to get in on the Ladies’ Globes people. Nevertheless, the newest tenacious and skilled experienced played having HPK Hameenlinna this year, is actually greeting to your Olympic degree camp, and had already offered to rejoin the fresh new Russian Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Light immediately after Beijing.

Mustonen, even when, can be justify his controversial choice because of the pointing to help you Anni Keisala’s higher performance from inside the Calgary. The brand new 24-year-old Ilves netminder – an effective positionally sound, cool battler – is actually named Finest Goalie and you can a tournament every-superstar at Ladies’ Planets (step one.43 GAA, 94.8 cut percentage, a couple of shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, thirty two, provides a competent option, while the experienced of five Ladies’ Globes didn’t gamble within their a few past Olympics (2014, 2018).

The brand new billion-buck question is if often Keisala otherwise Raisanen can perform duplicating the fresh new miracle Raty presented from the records-and work out cost new silver medal at 2019 Ladies Planets when you look at the Espoo. Indeed there, Raty produced 43 saves into the an excellent cuatro-dos partial-final distressed more Canada and one 50 saves about questionable 2-step 1 silver-medal shootout losings on Us citizens.

From inside the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), exactly who, such as for instance Raisanen, sat on the sidelines from the the 2014 and 2018 Video game, nabs the next goalie put. She replaces Jenna Silvonen, the newest 23-year-dated Mercyhurst College netminder which noticed for the Calgary.

Head Jenni Hiirikoski statements the brand new Finnish blueline. Entitled Most readily useful Defender from the past a couple of Olympics and seven Ladies’ Globes, brand new quick-skating 34-year-dated superstar takes on in almost any disease. Hiirikoski averaged a contest-most of ice amount of time in Calgary. Other trick all the-doing blueliners is Hiirikoski’s sturdy Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and Minttu Tuominen, who’ll join Raty and you can send Susanna Tapani for the Vanke Radiation shortly after Beijing.

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A noteworthy blueline omission was 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, a three-big date Olympian exactly who captains Brynas Gavle but are slowed down by wounds this present year. That puts new onus towards the three more youthful Kiekko-Espoo defenders to deliver next-top a few-ways activities.

Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), one another 19, review 1-dos for the rating certainly Naisten Liiga defenders, when you’re Ella Viitasuo, 25, (16+24=40) is actually 3rd. It Olympics marks Rantala’s elder-height IIHF debut. That it trio’s capacity to stand up to new forechecking of one’s United states superpowers would be pivotal.

Offensively, there is no matter the major submit line of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and Michelle Karvinen have a tendency to lead just how.

New explosive Nieminen, twenty two, contributed the newest Women’s Worlds which have six requirements on the way in order to an all-celebrity team berth. New Lulea winger are 2nd in SDHL rating (24+28=52) behind Brynas Gavle’s Swiss superstar Lara Stalder. Tapani – a talented athlete just who along with reigns over internationally in inline hockey and you can ringette – commonly aim together playmaking skills for more needs aside out of Karvinen, an other seasoned who broken into the half a dozen helps but did not light this new red-light from the 2021 Ladies Globes.

Karvinen, 29, is actually typing her 4th Olympics and you will provided the latest 2014 contest in Sochi which have four needs. New Danish-Finnish fuel pass provides filled the net during the 10 online game with Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) throughout the Swedish basic division this present year.

After that, this new margin anywhere between win and beat against Canada and You.S. will most likely depend precisely how much additional scoring Mustonen will get. From inside the Calgary, the newest Canadians rallied to conquer Finland 5-step 3 throughout the opener, since U.S. blanked Finland step three-0 in the group phase together with semi-finals.

Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid to help you win the lady 3rd upright Naisten Liiga rating name, got the woman lone Women’s Worlds objective against Canada. Gritty Lulea submit Viivi Vainikka’s just purpose try the very last one from inside the a 6-0 romp more than Switzerland. Lulea veteran Noora Tulus, a four-go out Swedish champ, features lay another private occupation SDHL saturated in wants this season (18), however, has never scored for the IIHF competition given that 2017 Ladies Globes. All these forward have to make way more into the Beijing.

Rating out-of precocious 16-year-old Sanni why are venezuelan women so sexy? Vanhanen, who potted brand new step one-0 quarter-finally champion facing Czechia within the Calgary, was a lovely bonus. Brand new Finns may also predict rates and you may an effective examining throughout the likes away from Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you may next-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.

This new Finns provides clearly split on their own of Classification A rivals such as the brand new ROC party and Switzerland. The fresh Russians last-made a keen IIHF podium into 2016 Women’s Worlds tan medal, since the Swiss have not claimed any steel just like the shocking 2014 Olympic bronze medal in the Sochi. You will be able you to Czechia, that has pushed Finland hard in 2 successive Ladies Worlds one-fourth-finals now, may pose the biggest counterthreat getting 3rd lay.

To possess Mustonen’s crew, things less than successful its country’s 4th Olympic tan medal from all time in Beijing could well be a major frustration. Yet deciding to make the Olympic finally the very first time in history looks like a lengthy decide to try. Either way, it’s going to be another essential step in new Finnish national team’s growth procedure.

Lineup

Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, College or university away from New york (NCAA) Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo Ronja Savolainen, Lulea Gavle (SWE) Minnamari Tuominen, Kiekko-Espoo Ella Viitasuo, Kiekko-Espoo

Ahead Sanni Hakala, HV71 Jonkoping (SWE) Elisa Holopainen, Kiekko-Espoo Michelle Karvinen, Malmo Redhawks (SWE) Julia Liikala, HIFK Helsinki Petra Nieminen, Lulea HF (SWE) Tanja Niskanen, KalPa Kuopio Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud County (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Cluster Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Radiation (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo