BRAMPTON, Ontario – The opening day of the IIHF Women’s World Championship featured strong scoring and 32 WCHA players in action, resulting in a total of 23 points on the scoresheet.

Highlights of the first in a 10-day tournament included a hat trick by St. Cloud State’s Jenniina Nylund, a game-winning goal by Natalie Spooner (Ohio State) just 120 days after giving birth, and a trio of points by Wisconsin alum Hilary Knight.

USA VS. JAPAN
Although Japan was the first to get on the board, the United States answered with seven straight to earn its first victory at the Women’s World Championship with a 7-1 final. Former Wisconsin star Hilary Knight added to her status as the tournament’s career scoring leader with a goal and two assists, while the 2022 Women’s Worlds MVP in Taylor Heise (Minnesota) net the Americans’ fourth goal after assisting on the tying goal in the opening period of play. A third multi-point performance came from a WCHA player as Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey posted a pair of assists, including one on Heise’s tally.

Signed to join Ohio State this season, Hannah Bilka opened the third period’s scoring after receiving a pass from Harvey, before Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy added an unassisted tally for a 6-1 lead. In addition to Amanda Kessel (Minnesota) adding to the scoresheet with an assist, Minnesota Duluth’s Gabbie Hughes made her senior national team debut in the matchup.

IIHF Game Recap: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2023/ww/news/42997/usa_jpn

CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND
In the opening day’s third game, a 12-save shutout by Ann-Renee Desbiens (Wisconsin) fueled a 4-0 victory by Canada. Midway through the first period, it was Ohio State alum Natalie Spooner that scored an unassisted tally that stood as the game-winner, before Sarah Nurse (Wisconsin) doubled the lead before the horn. The duo each added to their point totals as they assisted on the squad’s next two goals for a pair of multi-point performances in Canada’s victory, while Spooner was named as Canada’s Player of the Game.

Defending the other end of the ice, former Ohio State netminder Andrea Braendli posted an outstanding 45 saves, with just four goals allowed to the two-time defending gold medalists. Braendli faced a 25-1 margin in shots on goal in the third, to ultimately be named as Switzerland’s Player of the Game.

IIHF Game Recap: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2023/ww/news/43000/canada_starts_with_a_w

FINLAND VS. FRANCE
The first game of the 10-day tournament kicked off with Finland defeating France in a strong 14-1 victory. All four WCHA players in Finland’s lineup saw ice time and ultimately added to the impressive scoresheet. In a trio representing St. Cloud State, Jenniina Nylund posted a goal in each period for a hat trick, while netminder Sanni Ahola recorded 11 saves on 12 shots faced. Signed to join the Huskies this Fall 2023, Sofianna Sundelin posted a pair of assists, including on Nylund’s shorthanded game-winner.

Matching the team-high of four points on the day was Minnesota rookie Nelli Laitinen as she added a trio of assists to her second period goal. As Finland scored 14 goals, including a pair of shorthanded, it marked the most goals Finland has ever scored in a game.

IIHF Game Recap: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2023/ww/news/42990/finland_starts_with_a_bang

LOOKING AHEAD
Three games are on the docket for Thursday, including Germany against Sweden, Japan versus Czechia, and France against Hungary. Across the six countries, 13 WCHA players are set to take the ice, while Czechia is led by former Wisconsin standout Carla MacLeod.

Canada, USA, Czechia, Switzerland, and Japan compete in Group A of the two-tiered preliminary round, while Group B consists of Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Germany, and France. All five Group A teams will move on to the medal round of competition, while the top-three Group B teams advance to the next stage.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: IIHF - Schedule and Results 2023 IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
 
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
All eight WCHA programs have ties to players at the Women’s World Championships, while of the 10 countries competing, eight have WCHA representation.

The United States leads WCHA representation with 15 players, including seven student-athletes that competed last season. 2023 National Champion Wisconsin leads the way with four players on the roster that were title winners in Britta Curl, Lacey Eden, Caroline Harvey, and Nicole LaMantia. 2023 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff Champion Minnesota sports Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy as current players joining the national stage for Team USA.

Team Canada, which beat the United State for the gold medal in the 2022 Winter Olympics and the last two Women’s World Championships, has eight WCHA players speckling the lineup. The batch includes Emma Maltais, an Olympic gold medalist who led Ohio State to its first WCHA regular season title this season.

Switzerland boasts a total of five WCHA players, while Germany and Finland each have four with WCHA ties. Sweden, Hungary, and Czechia each have three players with WCHA connections, while Czechia is coached by former Wisconsin standout Carla MacLeod, who led the country to a bronze medal in last August’s Women’s World Championships.

Wisconsin has the most representatives at the event with 11 players, plus head coach MacLeod, including six on Team USA and five on Team Canada. Minnesota has eight players in the tournament, spanning three alums, four current players, and a signee for Fall 2023 in Emma Kreisz, while Minnesota Duluth matches the eight players with four that competed in the WCHA this 2022-23 season.

St. Cloud State’s seven competitors at Women’s Worlds include five current student-athletes, while Ohio State’s six players include two former players, two Fall 2023 transfers, along with Maltais and Sofie Lundin.

St. Thomas’ trio of participants are all active 2022-23 student-athletes in Lotti Odnoga, Saskia Maurer, and Nicole Vallario, while Bemidji State has a representative in Hayley Williams as she laces up for Hungary. Rounding out the WCHA rosters is a two-year Minnesota State player in Abbey Levy as she is between the pipes for the United States.

The Team USA contingent also includes former WCHA Commissioner Katie Million as USA Hockey’s Director of National Team Programs, Minnesota State’s assistant coach Shari Dickerman, hockey operations manager Nick Bryant, who has worked at both Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth, along with Minnesota’s strength coach Cal Dietz. Wisconsin’s athletic trainer Stef Arndt and equipment manager Sis Paulsen also join the staff.
 
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league on Twitter and Instagram @WCHA_WHockey, and online at the new wcha.com.
 
45 PLAYERS, 22 CURRENT STUDENT-ATHLETES, 4 FUTURE STUDENT-ATHLETES, 1 COACH
 
UNITED STATES (15 Players, 7 Current)
Cayla Barnes – Boston College, Ohio State (Fall 2023)
Hannah Bilka – Boston College, Ohio State (Fall 2023)
Britta Curl – Wisconsin *
Lacey Eden – Wisconsin *
Caroline Harvey – Wisconsin *
Taylor Heise – Minnesota *
Gabbie Hughes – Minnesota Duluth *
Amanda Kessel – Minnesota
Hilary Knight – Wisconsin
Nicole LaMantia – Wisconsin *
Abbey Levy – Minnesota State, Boston College
Abbey Murphy – Minnesota *
Kelly Pannek – Minnesota
Abbey Roque – Wisconsin
Lee Stecklein – Minnesota
 
CANADA (8 Players, 1 Current)
Kristen Campbell – North Dakota, Wisconsin
Emily Clark – Wisconsin
Ann-Renee Desbiens – Wisconsin
Jocelyne Larocque – Minnesota Duluth
Emma Maltais – Ohio State *
Sarah Nurse – Wisconsin
Natalie Spooner – Ohio State
Blayre Turnbull – Wisconsin
 
SWITZERLAND (5 Players, 3 Current)
Andrea Braendli – Ohio State, Boston U.
Saskia Maurer – St. Thomas *
Lara Stalder – Minnesota Duluth
Nicole Vallario – St. Thomas *
Laura Zimmermann – St. Cloud State *
 
FINLAND (4 Players, 3 Current, 1 Future)
Sanni Ahola – St. Cloud State *
Nelli Laitinen – Minnesota *
Jenniina Nylund – St. Cloud State *
Sofianna Sundelin – St. Cloud State (Fall 2023)
 
GERMANY (4 Players, 2 Current)
Marie Delarbre – Minnesota Duluth, Merrimack
Nina Jobst-Smith – Minnesota Duluth *
Laura Kluge – St. Cloud State
Svenja Voigt – St. Cloud State *


CZECHIA (3 Players, 2 Current)
Klara Hymlarova – St. Cloud State *
Katerina Mrazova – Minnesota Duluth
Blanka Skodova – Minnesota Duluth *
Head Coach Carla MacLeod – Wisconsin
 
SWEDEN (3 Current Players)
Josefin Bouveng – Minnesota *
Sofie Lundin – Ohio State *
Emma Soderberg – Minnesota Duluth *
 
HUNGARY (3 Players, 1 Current, 1 Future)
Emma Kreisz – Minnesota (Fall 2023)
Lotti Odnoga – St. Thomas *
Hayley Williams – Bemidji State
 
* active player