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OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION LEADS CANADA TO SEMIFINALS

FÃœSSEN, GERMANY -It's off to the semifinals for Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team.

Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC/Dawson College, Collégial AA), Saige Pacholok (Edmonton, AB/Edmonton, WWHL) and Jessica Wong (Baddeck, NS/Stoney Creek, PWHL) finished with four points apiece as Canada wrapped up first place in Group B with a 13-0 win over the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Canada finished with a perfect 3-0 record in preliminary round play, outscoring the opposition 35-1. It will face either the United States or Sweden in Friday's semifinals -the Americans and Swedes play later Wednesday to decide first and second place in Group A.

It took just 17 seconds for Canada to hit the board first, as Brigette Lacquette (Mallard, MB/Westman, Midget AA) snapped a shot from the point that found its way over the shoulder of Czech netminder Monika Pencikova for a quick 1-0 lead.

After Brittany Phillips (Lauder, MB/Westman, Midget AA) had made it 2-0 just past the midway point of the period, Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON/Mississauga, CWHL) took the puck end-to-end for an unassisted marker just 74 seconds later, sending Canada to the dressing room up three goals.

Canada outshot the Czechs 22-2 in the first period and continued the offensive onslaught early in the second period, as Jenner and Phillips each added their second of the game before the period was half over.

Poulin made it a half-dozen Canadian goals, scoring as she was falling down, and Kaleigh Fratkin (Burnaby, BC/Detroit Little Caesars, Midget AAA) registered her first goal of the tournament, shorthanded, to make it 7-0 after two periods.

With the game well in hand, Poulin added her second of the game, Phillips finished her hat trick, Laurie Kingsbury (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA) scored twice and Melodie Daoust (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA) and Jessica Campbell (Melville, SK/Pursuit of Excellence) added goals of their own -all in the third period -as Canada scored six times in the final frame.

Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, QC/Edouard-Montpetit, Collégial AA) picked up her second win of the tournament, turning aside nine shots to record her first shutout.

Eleven players finished with multiple-point games, led by Poulin (two goals, two assists), Pacholok (four assists) and Wong (four assists). Wong and Poulin co-lead the team in scoring through the prelims, with nine points each.

CANADA BLANKS FINLAND AT WOMEN'S U18 WORLDS

FÃœSSEN, GERMANY -Two games, two wins. Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team is off to a great start at the 2009 IIHF World Women's Under-18 Championship.

Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC/Dawson College, Collégial AA) had a goal and two assists to lead the way offensively as Canada moved to 2-0 in Group B play with a 6-0 victory over Finland on Tuesday. The Canadians have won all five preliminary round games they have played in the history of the tournament, outscoring the opposition 60-4.

Cassie Seguin (Ingleside, ON/Ottawa, PWHL) picked up the shutout between the pipes in her tournament debut, making 11 saves. All of Seguin's stops came in the opening 40 minutes, as the Finns failed to record a shot on goal in the third period.

It was the combination of Poulin and Melodie Daoust (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA) that got Canada on the board, as Poulin took a pass from Daoust and roofed a shot over the shoulder of Finnish netminder Susanna Airaksinen on a Canadian power play.

Finland's defence did its best to hold back the high-powered Canadian offence, holding it to just 11 shots in the opening 20 minutes. But Canada directed 25 at Airaksinen in the second period, and found the net three times to break the game open.

After setting up the opening goal, it was Daoust who picked up Canada's second marker, sneaking a shot past the skate of Airaksinen. Jessica Wong (Baddeck, NS/Stoney Creek, PWHL) and Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ON/Ottawa, PWHL) -shorthanded -also counted before the end of the middle frame.

Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON/Mississauga, CWHL) and Jessica Campbell (Melville, SK/Pursuit of Excellence) took over the third period for the Canadians as Campbell set up the Canadian captain for the fifth goal, and the two combined to set up Laurie Kingsbury (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA) just over three minutes later to round out the scoring.

Airaksanen was the story for the Finns, turning aside 48 shots to keep the score respectable.

Canada, which has assured itself of a spot in Friday's semifinals, wraps up the preliminary round on Wednesday against the Czech Republic (8:30 a.m. EST).

CANADA OPENS U18 WORLDS WITH ROMP OVER SWISS

FÜSSEN, GERMANY -After a 10-hour trip from Toronto to Munich to Füssen, Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team hit the ice for its first game on Monday and lit up the scoreboard.

Casandra Langan (Chatham, ON/London, PWHL) scored four times and Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ON/Ottawa, PWHL) added a hat trick of her own as Canada thumped the Swiss 16-1. The Canadians outshot Switzerland 80-7 overall.

Sixteen of Canada's 18 skaters recorded at least a point, led by four each from Langan and Laurie Kingsbury (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA), who had a goal and three assists. Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC/Dawson College, Collégial AA), Jessica Wong (Baddeck, NS/Stoney Creek, PWHL) and Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON/Mississauga, CWHL) also added two goals apiece.

Wong opened the scoring just past the five-minute mark of the opening period before Langan took over, scoring three times in 9:20 to complete her natural hat trick before the horn had sounded to end the opening 20 minutes.

Sophie Anthamatten replaced Sarah Kung in the Swiss goal to start the second period but it made no difference, as the Canadians peppered Anthamatten with 32 shots in her first 20 minutes of work.

Langan scored her fourth consecutive goal early in the middle frame to make it 5-0, and Jenner, who scored twice in the period, Wong, Jessica Campbell (Melville, SK/Pursuit of Excellence) and Rattray also scored to help Canada hit double digits before the second intermission.

Sarah Forster scored the lone goal for the Swiss just past the midway point of the second period, the only puck to beat Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, QC/Edouard-Montpetit, Collégial AA), who needed to make just six saves to record the victory.

With the game well in hand, Rattray scored twice in the third period to complete her hat trick, joined on the scoresheet in the final 20 minutes by Poulin, who scored both of her goals in the third, Kingsbury and Breann Frykas (East St. Paul, MB/Detroit Little Caesars, Midget AAA).

Canada looks to go 2-0 in preliminary round play on Tuesday when it faces Finland (8:30 a.m. EST).