HAMEENLINNA, Finland – Paced by Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) and Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.) hat tricks, the U.S. Women's National Team opened 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship play with an 8-0 victory over Japan here tonight at the Metritiski Arena. Team USA outshot the Japanese by a 74-8 count to secure its 12th straight tournament-opening victory.

"It was a good way to start things off," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson, who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. "From an offensive standpoint, we generated a lot of scoring opportunities. Everybody got their feet wet and now we can continue to move forward in the tournament."

Team USA held Japan shotless in the first period, while accumulating four goals on 29 shots, including a pair of power-play markers and a shorthanded tally. Jenny Potter's (Edina, Minn.) two helpers in the frame put her at 100 career assists for the United States.

In period No. 2, Japan's two goaltenders combined for 24 saves to hold the U.S. off the scoresheet until the final seconds, when Team USA scored to increase its lead to 5-0. Meanwhile, Japan garnered its first shot of the contest at 13:25 during a power play, then added three more in the latter portion of the stanza.

Two early third period goals and one with just over a minute to play in the game gave Team USA the 8-0 tournament-opening win. Megan Van Beusekom (Loretto, Minn.) earned her first career U.S. shutout with eight saves.

Knight used Team USA's first power-play opportunity to put the U.S. up 1-0 at the 4:39 mark of the opening frame with help from Potter and Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio). Again using special teams, Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) found Chu to the right of Japan's net for a low shot inside the right post at 11:27 while shorthanded.

Stack slapped in a rebound at 15:28 for Team USA's first even-strength goal and a 3-0 advantage, while Knight beat Japanese netminder Azusa Nakaoku on her stick side during a U.S. power play at 17:23 to put the Americans up 4-0 going into the first intermission.

After Japan staved off the first 23 U.S. shots in the middle period, Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) capitalized on a give-and-go with Stack with five seconds remaining to give Team USA a 5-0 advantage.

Chu scored her second goal of the outing just :45 into the final stanza off a rebound, then Knight completed her hat trick at 4:27 with a hard wrister from the left side. Chu capped U.S. scoring at eight goals by completing her own hat trick at 18:51 when Darwitz's shot went off her arm and into the net.

Team USA closes out preliminary-round play on Monday against Russia at 12 p.m. (5 a.m. EDT).

NOTES: Team USA was 2-for-4 on the power play, while holding Japan scoreless on six opportunities ... Kelli Stack, who had a four-point night (1-3), was named U.S. Player of the Game, while Hilary Knight was selected as Team USA's most skilled player of the evening ... Knight scored her first three world championship goals for the U.S., while Monique Lamoureuxalso notched her first world championship goal. Meanwhile, Lisa Chesson (Plainfield, Ill.) tallied her first career point for the U.S, with an assist ... Coverage of the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship can be found on USAHockey.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and on USA Hockey's Twitter page ... Team USA has won two gold medals and nine silvers in the 11 previous IIHF World Women’s Championships. The U.S. has won two of the last three world championships (2005, 2008) … Mark Johnson will serve as the head coach for Team USA through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Joining Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches at the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship are Dave Flint, head women’s ice hockey coach at Northeastern University, and Jodi McKenna, head women’s ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University.