February 4, 2010

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.) and Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio) each netted a goal and an assist as the U.S. Women's National Team topped Finland, 5-1, here tonight in Team USA's final Qwest Tour game.

"Tonight was a real positive way to finish the Qwest Tour," said Mark Johnson, head coach for Team USA. "It's been a very long journey since we started and the team should feel very good about the way they played tonight. Everyone's very excited and anxious for the Olympics to start."

The U.S. team salutes the crowd of more than 5,000 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Photos from the game

Seven seconds after Team USA killed off its fourth penalty of the period, Finland netted a goal with one minute remaining in the frame to tie the score, 1-1. Venla Hovi cut toward the net and fired a shot that was turned aside by Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.). A goalmouth scramble followed until Linda Valimaki picked up the loose puck and found the back of the net.

The U.S. wasted little time to retake the lead in the second period. While on the power play, Molly Engstrom (Siren, WIs.) fired a shot from the right point that redirected off Jocelyne Lamoureux's (Grand Forks, N.D.) stick to a waiting Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.), who knocked the puck into the open net from the right of Raty at 1:23.

Team USA continued its early-period scoring trend with a goal at 2:49 of the final frame to take a 3-1 advantage. A Finnish clearing attempt was thwarted by Stack, who chipped the puck behind Finland's defense to Karen Thatcher (Blaine, Wash.). Thatcher and Lawler skated in 2-on-0 before Thatcher slid a pass to Lawler, who sent a one-timer to the back of the net.

The U.S. then made 4-1 at 6:16 of the stanza. Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) passed to Lawler, who carried the puck down the left-wing boards before cutting toward the net. After her shot attempt was slowed down by a Finnish stick, Raty made a stick save while sliding in the opposite direction. The puck stopped near the goal line before Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) slid the puck into the open net.

Less than two minutes later, Angela Ruggiero (Simi Valley, Calif.) extended the U.S. lead to 5-1. Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Conn.) sent a pass to Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.) at the left point, who fired a slap shot that ricocheted off the end boards to Ruggiero. The defenseman then fired the puck past Raty for the goal at 7:48.

U.S. netminder Vetter turned aside 24 shots, while Finland's Raty made 52 saves.

NOTES: Kelli Stack was named U.S. Player of the Game ... Team USA was 1-for-4 on the power play, while holding Finland scoreless on six man-advantage opportunities ... Coverage of the Qwest Tour can be found on QwestTour.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and on the Qwest Tour Twitter page...Click here for Team USA's roster ...Mark Johnson, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin, is leading Team USA through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Dave Flint, head women's ice hockey coach at Northeastern University, and Jodi McKenna, head women's ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University, are serving as assistant coaches ... The 2010 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team will travel to Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday (Feb. 7) and plays its first game of the XXI Olympic Winter Games against China on Feb. 14 ... For the full schedule, click here.

ABOUT THE QWEST TOUR
The Qwest Tour, presented by Qwest Communications, featured the 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team playing a 10-game domestic tour that ended just prior to the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. During that time, the U.S. squad faced off against Canada; Finland; all-star teams from the WCHA, Hockey East and ECAC Hockey; and various other NCAA Division I women's ice hockey teams. For more details, including the full schedule and Qwest All Access content, visit QwestTour.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Stack (Bellamy, Chu), 2:36; 2, FIN, Valimaki (Hovi, Saarinen), 19:00. Penalties: FIN, Hiirikoski (body checking), 6:57; USA, Chu (roughing), 11:10; USA, Darwitz (delay of game), 12:47; USA, Duggan (tripping), 13:57; USA, Darwitz (tripping), 16:53.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, USA, Potter (J. Lamoureux, Engstrom), 1:23 (pp). Penalties: FIN, Tikkinen (roughing), :45; USA, Chesson (hooking), 4:09; USA, Cahow (interference), 16:22.

Third Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Lawler (Thatcher, Stack), 2:49; 5, USA, Darwitz (Lawler, M. Lamoureux), 6:16; 6, USA, Ruggiero (Duggan, Cahow), 7:48. Penalties: FIN, Rantamaki (hooking), :10; FIN, Saarinen (interference), 9:48; FIN, Mertanen (roughing), 17:20; USA, J. Lamoureux (roughing), 17:20.