Checking All The Boxes

Kudos to whomever the photographer was that captured the concentration shown by Ottawa's Aurelie Dubuc as she guarded the Canadian net while watching the Czech players in their game on Saturday. Dubuc helped Canada earn the top seeding in the six-team preliminary round of the 2023 FISU World University Games, and it makes their game against the 2-2 American squad tomorrow less intense as the two archrivals meet on American soil.

Canada has played well thus far as they've scored 29 goals compared to just the single goal scored against them by the Czechs in the four games they've played thus far. Assuming that Canada defeats the US in tomorrow's contest, that would set up a 1-vs-4 game in the semifinal with Canada, as the top seed, squaring off against Slovakia, a team they defeated 4-0 on December 11. If the Americans were to win tomorrow's game, they would vault into third-place in the pool, bumping Japan to fourth-place and a date with the Canadians in the semifinal on Friday. Canada beat Japan 6-0 on Sunday.

It seems that whatever Canada is doing is working very well for them.

"We stuck to our habits. That was what was important today, just sticking to our gameplan and not letting individual efforts take over team habits," Saskatchewan Huskies defender Isabella Pozzi said after defeating Great Britain 14-0 today. "We were supporting each other, finding each other, and using everyone on the ice."

Those "habits", as Pozzi called them, are showing up in spades on the ice as the Canadians seemingly have out-skated, out-chanced, and out-worked every team they faced, finding gaps in defences for scoring chances and showing great defensive awareness in preventing good looks on the three Canadian netminders in Dubuc, Kendra Woodland, and Camryn Drever. The end result is, as mentioned above, four wins on the strength of a +28 goal differential.

"Every forward and every defenceman is very strong, so it's a great opportunity with each girl you get to play with," Saint Mary's Huskies forward Shae Demale said after the win against Japan. "There are opportunities with every line combination they put together. It's really cool to see it gel out on the ice."

That might be the most accurate statement I've heard about this Canadian team as watching them is a clear demonstration of their skills, talents, and abilities that seem to be raised to another level with their chemistry. Part of that credit goes to head coach Greg Bowles and his coaching staff of Sarah Hilworth, Kelly Paton, and Kyle MacDonald. The lines they've been sending over the boards have worked wonderfully through the first four games, and I suspect we'll continue to see the same combinations rolling against the Americans and beyond.

The other part of the credit has to be given to the women, though, as they've found a way to bond regardless of team rivalries or conference boundaries. Whether it be Concordia's Emmy Fecteau or Montreal's Audrey-Anne Veillette, the connection that Demale and Nipissing's Maria Dominico seemed to have formed on their line, or the developing chemistry between Waterloo's Leah Herrfort and Toronto's Céline Frappier, Canada's offence is clicking and I have yet to mention offensive juggernauts like Madison Willan, Maggy Birbidge, or Rosalie Begin-Cyr or the trio of unlimited energy in Lea MacLeod, Hannah Tait, and Scout Watkins-Southward.

Defensively, it would seem the pairings have settled in nicely as there have been great offensive contributions from the blue line without surrendering a ton of shots in creating that offence. Bishop's Marie-Camille Theoret has been allowed to skate and create alongside Isabella Pozzi's steady play, Waterloo's Carley Olivier has shown all sorts of skill next to the always-reliable Jenna MacLean, and Elizabeth Mura and Annabel Faubert have quietly be sensational together while Kelly-Ann Nadeau was all over the scoresheet today. Again, chemistry and bonding has worked for these pairings, and they look like they've been playing together all season.

While Canada has shown talent, they've worked just as hard - maybe harder? - to ensure they leave everything on the ice in each game. Some will say they're playing teams that simply can't match the skill or speed of the Canadians, and there's some truth to that. However, I'd counter the fact that all of the teams playing qualified for the hockey event, so no individual team should be taken lightly. From their play in the opening four games, I'd say Canada has not taken any team at any point lightly.

With the way they're currently playing, I'd say Canada is the favorite when the medal round opens on Friday. They can't overlook the Americans tomorrow, though, as they have a chance to eliminate the Americans from the medal round, and you know Team USA is going to bring everything they have against Canada in order to prevent that from happening.

We're only a few days from seeing a gold medal awarded in Lake Placid at the women's hockey event, and the Canadians have found the right mix of scoring, defence, goaltending, and effort to give them a very good chance at bringing a gold medal home. I've said it before, and I'll say it again here: skilled teams that outwork their opponents will win almost every game barring any runs of bad luck.

To date, Canada has checked all the boxes - with a big checkmark for effort - in earning the tournament's top seed. Three more games like that, and we'll be talking about another gold medal-winning Canada women's team!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!