NORRKOPING, Sweden – Krissy Wendell  (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) scored two shorthanded goals and Angela Ruggiero  (Harper Woods, Mich.) tallied a goal and two assists as Team USA defeated Finland 8-1 tonight. With the win, the U.S. completed the preliminary round with a perfect 3-0-0 record and is a top seed entering the semifinal round. Team USA will face Sweden in the semifinal game on Friday and the winner will advance to the gold-medal game.

Shelly Looney  (Brownstown Twp., Mich.) opened the scoring for Team USA, backhanding a Ruggiero rebound into the high, stick-side corner at 9:01 of the first. Eight scoreless minutes elapsed before Ruggiero scored the eventual game-winner with a shot from the blueline.

Early in the second stanza with Team USA on the penalty kill, Wendell took the face-off and walked the puck in from center ice to net a shorthanded goal. Cammi Granato (Downers Grove, Ill.) added to the U.S. lead halfway through the period, lifting a shot over the shoulder of Finland’s Noora Raty. With Team USA again on the penalty kill, Wendell scored her second shorthanded goal of the period, firing from the slot at 14:09 for the 5-0 USA lead after two periods.

Finland got on the board early in the third period but Lyndsay Wall  (Churchville, N.Y.) answered with her first goal of the tournament, a hard shot from the blueline to up the score to 6-1. Minutes later, Jenny Potter  (Edina, Minn.) increased the U.S. lead, redirecting a centering pass under the crossbar and into the Finland net. Kristin King  (Piqua, Ohio) wrapped up the scoring with her first Team USA goal at 11:47 of the final stanza.

Chanda Gunn  (Huntington Beach, Calif.) stopped 10 shots and held Finland scoreless for two periods en route to her second win of the tournament.

Team USA returns to action on Friday, April 8, at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EDT). The game can be heard via live audiocast at www.usahockey.com.

Notes:  Team USA claimed the top seed in Group B, which included Finland, China and Germany after scoring a group-high 23 goals and allowing just three...Ruggiero (1G, 2A) earned U.S. Player of the Game recognition for tonight’s game...Team USA killed seven of eight penalties in the game (87.5%)...The next two games for Team USA, including the semi-final and medal games, can be heard via live audiocast at www.usahockey.com...In other tournament action tonight, Canada defeated Sweden, 10-0; China and Germany tied, 3-3; and Kazahkstan tied Russia, 2-2.