Canada to Face U.S. in Women’s Worlds Gold Medal Game After dominating finland
České Budějovice, Czechia — Canada secured its spot in the gold medal game of the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship with a commanding 8-1 victory over Finland.They will now face the United States in a highly anticipated final on Sunday. The Finns will compete for bronze against the host Czech Republic.
Dominant Second Period Propels Canada
Canada’s decisive win was fueled by an explosive second period where they scored four goals in under two minutes, leaving Finland struggling to recover. The defending Women’s Worlds champions showcased thier offensive prowess and defensive strength, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown against their North American rivals.
“It’s amazing,” said Canadian defender Claire Thompson. “It’s what we work towards. it’s our goal every time we come to the tournament. We’re excited to come out tomorrow and compete hard.”
Poulin Breaks Scoring Record
Adding to the victory, captain Marie-Philip Poulin etched her name in the record books by surpassing Hayley Wickenheiser’s all-time Canadian scoring record at the Women’s Worlds.Poulin’s goal and assist in the semi-final brought her tournament total to 88 points, exceeding Wickenheiser’s previous record of 86. The Quebec-born superstar currently leads the tournament with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists).
“It’s amazing and so well-deserved,” said linemate Laura Stacey. “I think you can see her work ethic day in and day out. To see her break that record is pretty special. I think it’s countless hours, countless years of hard work, and obviously she’s the best to ever do it, so we’re pretty lucky to have her on our team.”
Poulin hailed Desbiens’ accomplishment: “She had a little break a couple years back and to see the fire in her eyes now that she’s back, there’s no better person it could happen to, and I’m not surprised [she’s got the record]. She’s a warrior, she fights. She’s coming back from injury, she wanted to be here, and she put that work in to be here.”
Game Highlights
daryl Watts contributed two goals to the Canadian effort, while Thompson added a goal and two assists. Danielle Serdachny also notched a goal and an assist.Erin ambrose, Emily Clark, and Sarah Nurse rounded out the scoring for Canada. Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner each recorded two assists.
captain Michelle Karvinen scored the sole goal for Finland. Karvinen exited the game in the third period after a high hit from Watts, resulting in a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for Watts.
A disappointed Noora Tulus reflected: “Honestly, I don’t really know what happened. We were too easy to score on. We need to check it afterward and get better.But we also need to take all the good things we did today. Tomorrow’s coming fast and we need to look forward.”
The final shot count favored Canada 34-20. Goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens established a new record with 22 all-time Women’s Worlds wins, surpassing Switzerland’s Florence Schelling (21). It is worth noting that Czech goalie Klara Peslarova equaled Schelling’s old mark with her two shutouts versus Switzerland in this tournament.
Finland’s Perspective
Finland’s Emilia Kyrkko, who plays college hockey for St. Cloud State in Minnesota, got her second tournament start in net. Kyrkko had previously relieved starter Sanni Ahola during a 5-0 group-stage loss to Canada.
Rivalry Renewal: Gold Medal Match Anticipation
The upcoming gold medal game between Canada and the United States serves as a significant encounter ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.Canada enters as the defending Olympic champion, having defeated the U.S. 3-2 in the 2022 final in Beijing. Last year, Canada also triumphed over the U.S. 6-5 to secure the Women’s Worlds gold, with Serdachny scoring the overtime winner.
“Any time there’s a medal on the line, it’s a fierce battle,” Thompson said. “Every time we play the Americans, they give us their best. And we’re just hoping that we’ve been able to build each and every game this tournament and come out an even better team than we showed them in the previous game.”
Game in Detail
Finland initially took the lead early in the game at 0:46, with captain Michelle karvinen scoring, assisted by New York Sirens forward Noora Tulus and defender Ronja Savolainen.
Canada responded at 2:28 when erin Ambrose scored,assisted by Jennifer Gardiner. Poulin gave Canada its first lead with her record-setting goal at 14:44, converting a cross-ice feed from Gardiner with a one-timer from the hash mark.
Watts put Canada up 3-1 at 17:18.Watts also scored on the power play at 18:18 making it 4-1. Brianne Jenner found clark back-door at 18:30 for a 5-1 lead. And Serdachny turned it into a rout,hammering home a fat rebound at 19:16.
Thompson put that four-goal explosion in the context of a minor penalty to Sarah Fillier at 13:41,which enabled the Finns to apply PP pressure: “I think we had a huge penalty kill. Ann-Renee made some astonishing saves,and we were able to build off the momentum of that penalty kill and then start putting pucks in the back of the net like we do so well.”
Even after Watts was ejected, the Finns couldn’t muster any offence. Thompson jumped in to score shorthanded on an emma Maltais set-up at 4:56. Nurse made it 9-1 at 11:25 off a Serdachny feed from behind the net.
Past context
Finland’s record against Canada drops to two wins and 27 losses. the Finns won 4-3 in the 2017 group stage in Plymouth, Michigan and 4-2 in the 2019 semi-finals in Espoo, Finland. The latter result marked the first time a European team had ever beaten a North American team in the Women’s Worlds playoffs.
Savolainen played a big role in both those upsets,scoring the late winner in 2017 and adding two goals and an assist in 2019. The 27-year-old Ottawa Charge defender is Finland’s leading scorer in Ceske Budejovice (3+2=5), suiting up for the semis despite leaving after a center-ice collision in the 3-2 quarter-final win over neighbouring Sweden.
Addressing Concerns About Physical Play
While some observers might view Daryl Watts’ major penalty and game misconduct as overly aggressive, it’s crucial to recognize that women’s hockey, like its male counterpart, is a physical sport. The intensity of the game frequently enough leads to borderline plays, and officials must make split-second decisions. While player safety is paramount, completely eliminating physicality could fundamentally alter the character of the sport. The discussion underscores the ongoing need for consistent rule enforcement and player education to minimize dangerous plays while preserving the competitive spirit.
FAQ: Women’s World Championship
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where is the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship being held? | České Budějovice, Czechia. |
| When is the gold medal game? | Sunday. |
| Who is Marie-Philip Poulin? | The captain of the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team and a record-breaking scorer. |
| Which team won the last gold medal game? | Canada beat the U.S. 6-5 for Women’s Worlds gold last year on Serdachny’s overtime winner. |
