Poulin helps Canada to win over Switzerland at women's hockey worlds

Donna Spencer · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 11:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Marie-Philip Poulin was Canada's catalyst with 3 assists successful a 4-0 triumph implicit Switzerland astatine the women's satellite hockey title Friday.

Micah Zandee-Hart, Natalie Spooner, Laura Stacey and Daryl Watts scored for Canada (2-0).

Ann-Renee Desbiens posted a 17-save shutout successful her archetypal commencement since suffering a lower-body wounded March 18 successful a Professional Women's Hockey League crippled with the Montreal Victoire.

At 36 goals and 46 assists for 82 points, Poulin closed successful connected Hayley Wickenheiser's Canadian tourney records for points (86) and assists (49).

Canada's captain, who assisted connected her country's archetypal 3 goals Friday, was besides 5 goals distant from breaking Jayna Hefford's goals grounds of 40.

Swiss goaltender Andrea Braendli made 36 saves successful beforehand of an announced 5,395.

Canada stepped backmost connected the Ceske Budejovice Arena crystal little than 18 hours aft blanking Finland 5-0 the erstwhile night.

The defending champions get a breather Saturday earlier different back-to-back against archrival United States connected Sunday and the big Czechs connected Monday.

The Swiss were feistier than the Finns and generated much forays into Canada's zone.

Former Ohio State goalie Braendli was pugnacious early, but the unfortunate of porous defence during Canada's three-goal burst successful a span of 2 minutes 32 seconds successful the 2nd period.

Watts scored her archetypal satellite title extremity astatine 9:46 by circling heavy into the portion and unleashing a debased sharp-angled changeable acold broadside connected Braendli.

That was conscionable 40 seconds aft Poulin drove the nett to nonstop a backhand walk to Stacey to one-time by the Swiss goalie.

A 2nd extremity by Watts successful the 2nd play didn't past Switzerland's palmy situation for offside.

Spooner produced Canada's archetypal power-play extremity of the tourney erstwhile Poulin slid the puck to her connected Switzerland's doorstep astatine 7:14 of the 2nd period.

Zandee-Hart shovelled a rebound disconnected a Poulin changeable from the slot implicit Braendli astatine 12:26 of the archetypal period.

Desbiens was tested by a Swiss powerfulness play precocious successful the play and repelled a half-dozen shots during it.

All top-five seeds successful Pool A and the apical 3 finishers successful Pool B beforehand to Thursday's quarterfinals. The semifinals and medal games are besides back-to-backs connected the last play April 19-20.

The women's title volition revert to "snake" seeding successful each of the 2 pools successful 2026 to lucifer the men's under-20 and men's and women's under-18 championship.

In an effort to trim lopsided scores, the IIHF began seeding the apical countries successful 1 excavation and little seeds successful the different successful 2012.

A problematic optic was a squad could spell winless done the A pool, yet play a quarterfinal against a Pool B squad that won 4 games to get there.

The IIHF accrued roster sizes astatine this year's satellite title by 2 skaters to 25.

Watts stayed successful lineup Friday contempt skating to the seat successful evident symptom precocious the erstwhile night.

Defender Sophie Jaques drew successful Friday for Claire Thompson for a satellite title debut.

Desbiens' activation bumped Eve Gascon, who was Kristin Campbell's backup the erstwhile night, to the scratched portion alongside guardant Julia Gosling.

Canada improved to 21-0-0 all-time against the Swiss, presently coached by Toronto-born Colin Muller, since 2019.