WOODRIDGE, Ill. - Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) tallied two goals for her second straight multi-goal game to lead the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team to a 5-0 blanking of Finland here tonight at at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship in Walter Bush Rink. With the win, the U.S. improved to 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and will face the Czech Republic in its final preliminary-round game on Tuesday (March 30) at 7:30 p.m. CDT.

"We came out hard in the first period and I was happy with how the girls responded and kept their composure after some early penalties," said Katie King, head coach for Team USA. "We're moving in the right direction and getting stronger as the tournament progresses."

After a scoreless first period, the U.S. took a 1-0 lead while on the power play at 5:28 of the middle frame. Haley Skarupa (Rockville, Md.) cut toward the net from the left boards and fired a shot. The rebound was collected by Coyne to the right of the Finnish net, where she jammed the rebound in for her fourth goal of the tournament.

Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.) extended Team USA's lead to 2-0 at 10:35. From the left boards, Amanda Pelkey (Montpelier, Vt.) fed Carpenter in the slot, where she snapped the puck over Isabella Portnoj's glove.

Team USA took a 3-0 lead with its second power-play tally of the period at 15:44. After an initial shot on goal was turned aside by Finnish netminder Isabella Portnoj, Meagan Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.) knocked in a rebound over the goaltender's shoulder.

Coyne netted her second marker of the game on the power play at 10:34 of the final stanza, extending the U.S. lead to 4-0. After receiving a Marissa Gedman (Framingham, Mass.) pass at the top of the left circle, Coyne skated to the slot and fired a shot off the post and into the net.

Just over a minute later, Melissa Bizzari (Stowe, Vt.) took a pass from Skarupa in the slot and beat Portnoj to close out the game's scoring.

U.S. netminder Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.) turned aside 13 shots in the victory.

NOTES: Alex Carpenter was named Team USA's player of the game ... The U.S. was 3-for-9 on the power play, while Finland was 0-for-8 ... The U.S. has not allowed a power-play goal in 11 opportunities throughout the tournament ... Alex Rigbsy recorded her second career shutout as a member of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team ... Kendall Coyne paces the U.S. with five goals ... Tonight's match-up was the first-ever meeting between the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team and Finland ... If Team USA collects one point against the Czech Republic, it will clinch Group A and advance to the semifinal round ... All tournament games are available via live webstream at USAHockey.FASTHockey.com... Media can obtain tournament photos at ImagesOnIce.net... The IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, which is being held for the first time on U.S. soil at the Seven Bridges Ice Arena, is being held for the third time ... The eight-nation tournament includes Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Japan, Russia, Sweden and the United States ... The U.S. is the two-time defending world champion, after capturing gold in Füssen, Germany, in 2009, and in Calgary in 2008 ... Katie King, three-time Olympian and head women's hockey coach at Boston College, is Team USA's head coach, with Shelley Looney, two-time Olympian and girls'/women's hockey director for the New Jersey Colonials, and Catherine Hanson, former U.S. Women's National Team member who spent seven seasons as an assistant women's hockey coach at The Ohio State University, serving as assistant coaches ... For more information on the 2010 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, visit Chicago2010Hockey.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

FIN 0 - 0 - 0 - 0
USA 0 - 3 - 2 - 5

First Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: USA, Pelkey (charging), :16; USA, Picard (cross-checking), :41; FIN, Oinonen (holding), 6:45.

Second Period - Scoring: 1, USA Coyne (Skarupa), 5:28 (pp); 2, USA, Carpenter (Pelkey), 10:35; 3, USA, Mangene (unassisted), 15:44 (pp). Penalties: USA, Hickel (hooking), 1:20; FIN, Rahunen (tripping), 3:26; FIN, Makinen (hooking), 5:02; FIN, Niskanen (tripping), 5:48; USA, Mangene (holding), 10:58; USA, Figueroa (hooking), 13:13; FIN, Makinen (slashing), 14:45; FIN, Niskanen (roughing), 16:55.

Third Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Coyne (Gedman), 10:34 (pp); 5, USA, Bizzari (Skarupa, Ammerman), 11:35. Penalties: USA, Ammerman (hooking), 1:28; USA, Slavin (delay of game), 1:47; USA, Fry (charging), 5:00; FIN, Rantanen (holding), 10:21; FIN, Tapani (body checking), 16:43; FIN, Tapani (body checking), 19:31.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total

USA 13 15 21 49
FIN 5 2 6 13
         
Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Rigsby, 60:00 5-5 2-2 6-6 13-13
FIN, Portnoj, 60:00 13-13 15-12 21-19 49-44

Power Play: USA 3-9; FIN 0-8
Penalties: USA 8-16; FIN 9-18
Officials: Referee-Michaela Kiefer (GER); Linesmen-Paivi Laurla (FIN), Illona Novotna (CZE)