GAME DAY: U.S. Continues Preliminary Round Against Finland

By USA Hockey, 08/22/21, 9:00AM EDT

U.S. and Finland last met in the gold-medal game of the 2019 WWC

The U.S. Women's National Team will meet Finland Sunday in Game 2 of the preliminary round of the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time/9:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live in the U.S. on NHL Network.

Team USA is coming off a 3-0 victory against Switzerland Friday. Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) and Kendall Coyne Schofield (Palos Heights, Ill.) each tallied a goal and an assist for Team USA and Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn.) netted her first career goal with the U.S. Women’s National Team. With her assist, Decker tied Krissy Wendell (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Jennie Potter (Edina, Minn.) for all-time assists recorded by an American at the Women’s World Championship with 38.

THE LAST TIME OUT

The U.S. and Finland last met on the international stage in the gold-medal game of the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship, where Team USA earned its fifth-straight gold medal in a thrilling shootout victory (2-1). It was the first time the U.S. had faced any team other than Team Canada in the gold-medal game in event history. With the game tied 1-1 after overtime, the game went to a five-player shootout. Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) and Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.) scored in the first two rounds of the shootout. The Pankowski goal proved to be the difference as Alex Cavallini (Delafield, Wis.) made the final stop to secure gold for the U.S.

SERIES VS. FINLAND

The U.S. and Finland have met on 19 separate occasions at the IIHF Women's World Championship and the U.S. leads the series 16-1-1-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) with a scoring differential of 87-27 in favor of Team USA.

RECORD WATCH

This tournament marks Hilary Knight's (Sun Valley, Idaho) 11th appearance at the IIHF Women's World Championship, which sets the record for most appearances by any U.S. player. Knight is also just one goal away from tying Cammi Granato as the leading scorer for Team USA at the WWC, with Granato’s record holding at 44. In addition to the all-time scoring record, Knight is four points away from tying the all-time leading points record (78 points), which is also currently held by Granato. With her assist against Switzerland, Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) tied Krissy Wendell and Jenny Potter for the U.S. all-time assists record in WWC play (record is 38 assists).