A Proud Olympic Moment...16-0

[MrPrax]

Take that Italy! We Destroy those Losers!!

Yes...Boy-Yah!
We're Number 1# We're Number 1# We're Number 1# We're Number 1# We're Number 1# We're Number 1# We're Number 1#!!!!

Canada clobbers Italy 16-0 in women's hockey

Caroline Ouellette and Hayley Wickenheiser posted hat tricks to lead Canada to a tournament-opening 16-0 rout of the host Italians in women's hockey at the Torino Olympics on Saturday.

(snip) You gotta like that!! Two sets of hat tricks!!!

"We expected Italy to be weak but we're not going to apologize for winning," Wickenheiser said.

(snip) You tell'em Wicky...and don't let anyone take it away from you...NO Sir!!

More Details On This Triumph

Man I hope Canada can hold on...I figure we might face the Americans in the finals...hopefully

[elare]

1. Did you watch any of the broadcast?

If you had, you'd know that in the final game they decide which team is the "home" team based on goals for and against. Having the last change for 2 out of 3 periods is an advantage. If not for that, I'm quite sure they wouldn't have run the score so high.

Even the Italian coach said that he expected about 95% of the play to be in his team's end. The Italian team knew they had no chance of winning; their team is only in the Olympics because they're the host country ... they wouldn't have qualified otherwise.

Knowing a few more facts helps put it in a bit of perspective, eh?

[MrPrax]

2. No way...

It's called poor sportsmanship...period. Hell it's not even sports.

The 'home' ice advantage is moot to a tournament where only 1 team has any possibility of giving Canada a competitive game. Womens' hockey needs a few years to go for it to have a real place in the Olympics.

[Roho]

3. I agree

Very poor. I thought that when it was 7-0 in the second and only from clicking your link did I learn it was 16.

Even IF Canada loses the gold because of a line change the lost or not running up a score the high road always has the nicest view.

[CanSocDem]

4. And today they're pounding the Russkies....

Have they NO shame?!?

[MrPrax]

5. Good workout I guess...

Hell if the Russkies can't put a team on the ice, then the 'sport' should be discontinued, period.

I'll start watching 'real' hockey on Thursday...not this embarassment. This is worst than the initial US 'dream team' in basketball when it started. BUT the competition improved--here it looks the opposite.


Hockey: Canadian women rock Russia

Torino, Italy (CP) - Rookie forward Meghan Agosta had a hat trick for the Canadian women's hockey team in a 12-0 rout of Russia at the Olympic Games on Sunday.

It was the first Olympic goals for Agosta, who turned 19 on Sunday.

Cherie Piper scored twice and was credited with another by official scorers, but it was actually Gillian Apps who scored that one.




That's right, honey--you won...National Pride means you kick him harder when he goes down...fella

[ClusterFreak]

8. Goal differential counts....decides who is home team...

...who gets last line change in gold medal game against the U.S.
Canada didn't make the rules, but are taking advantage of them. So what? Call me when the girls start riding their sticks like Tiger Williams after they score a goal, and then I'll agree with ya. I watched most of both games, and never saw much in the way of any celebration from the Canadian girls. Having said that, the rules should be that home ice in the gold medal game is decided by a coin toss.

[MrPrax]

10. The fella seemed pretty happy to me...

Hell a 19 yr old rookie scoring a hat trick at the Olympic level...yeah no cause to celebrate, happens all the time in Olympic Competition.

Are U really suggesting that Canada needs to have home ice advantage? The other teams can't pass...can't defend...can't even get a shot on net.

Suggesting the rules are even relevent is kinda like telling a professional boxer to tie his shoelaces before he beats up a kid at an arcade. He might trip on them, instead of slipping on the blood.

[ClusterFreak]

11. What fella?

We're talking about women's hockey, aren't we?

Anyway....home ice against the Americans? Damn straight! The Americans are our equal in women's hockey. We need every advantage we can get. And who's suggesting the rules aren't relevant? What does that even mean?

I do think we can't get upset that our girls have had lopsided victories. I also think that there should be a review of women's hockey at the Olympic level, because of the extreme inequities. Perhaps it should be removed as a sport, until such time as the other countries bring up their skill level to anywhere near ours and that of the U.S. But I don't blame the girls for winning big over in Turin.

[MrPrax]

12. I am not trading...

my good sense of fairness, class and good sports'person'ship for a crummy medal and patriotism.

Forget it...(and oh I know it's womens' hockey ;-)

[ClusterFreak]

13. Okee dokee....

:shrug:

[Swede]

6. Maybe everyone missed Team USA beating Canada in December.

Yeah,let's back into the medal rounds and then play for real. Brialliant.

[elare]

7. Maybe they also missed

that the US beat Canada in the 2005 World Championships.

[LeftistGorilla]

9. man....

I can't watch....

[MrPrax]

14. Take That Sweden...

Waiting for the Final score...but HOPEFULLY Canada can hang on...it's ONLY 7-1 third period, so far.

Please Please Please Win....

Oh this is a laff: Sports Reporting
From TSN's pre-game promo copy:

Who's That Girl

Sweden has never beaten Canada in women's hockey, yet the Canadians are still wary of their next opponent at the Olympics. The Canadians hammered host Italy 16-0 and then Russia 12-0. Yet, while Canada is heavily favoured over Sweden on Tuesday, the team expects a stiffer challenge from the Swedes. If netminder Kim Martin, the hero of her country's bronze-medal win in the 2002 Olympics, is on her game, Sweden can make life difficult for Canada.

Cute...but little does she know what's going to happen. I bet she thinks it's a hobby and it's fun...poor misguided fool.

From the Same Site:
Glad to know I am not alone...

American rips Canada for lopsided wins

TURIN, Italy (CP-AP) - A member of the U.S. women's hockey team says Canada's lopsided wins to date at the Turin Olympics are not helping the sport.

And defenceman Angela Ruggiero questions why the Canadian women put 16 goals past Italy and 12 past Russia.

''I'm upset that Canada has been running up the score, especially against the host nation,'' Ruggiero was quoted Monday on SI.com, Sports illustrated's website. ''There was no need for that. They're trying to pad their stats . . . Canada is running up the score for whatever reasons - personal, short-term.'

(snip)

Canadian star Hayley Wickenheiser would like to see a mercy rule in international play.

''The IIHF might want to look at a 10-goal differential,'' she said. ''It's been pretty disappointing. I was . . . surprised it was like that. I thought it was going to be closer. That's not great hockey.''
TSN story

Yeah...sure...Wicky...you just wait until there is a rule enforcing class...then it will be great hockey, right?

[V. Kid]

15. I am worried though, that if Sweden and Finland don't do better...

...and be more competitive, with Canada, not too competive mind you ;-) (and the US, sans their game against Finland), women's hockey will be taken off the Olympic roster. For competive international play, their needs to be, well, competive teams. Two don't count. They've taken other sports off the roster before, because of these reasons. That's why players like Hayley Wickenheiser are worried.

[ClusterFreak]

16. Didn't they just take women's softball out of the summer games?

I think after this Olympics, women's hockey will be on the bubble for sure. Too bad, cuz when two good teams (i.e. Canada and the U.S.) do play each other, it's an exciting game to watch. Not my cup of tea on any kind of regular basis, but it can be fun.

[MrPrax]

17. Yeah...

Did that make much sense getting rid of womens' softball and hardball competitions.

These were extremely competitive games from all four corners of the world...ice hockey isn't there and the fact it is favoured and NOT other more popular sports, speaks volumes about the corruption and priorities of the IOC.

Personally they should clean up or be discarded...the Olympics are kinda irrelevent anyway unless you are in the sports and media industries.

[glarius]

18. Speak for yourself....I love the Olympics!

There are many of us who enjoy the Olympics and don't find them "irrelevent"...There are thousands of young people around the world who work towards the Olympics as a goal and I for one find their dedication and hard work inspiring.

[MrPrax]

19. Well I am speaking for myself...

Obviously...

1) Using the public as a reference in an arg is problematic...the public voted for the Tories as well. Doesn't mean the public knows everything ;-)

2) "There are thousands of young people around the world who work towards the Olympics as a goal" I would prefer that "millions"! of young people would work towards more realistic goals, like losing the 'junior high' gut, eating healthy, using alternative transportation like bikes and minimizing the effects tunnel carpal syndrome and arthritis from all that console gaming!!!

While encouraging young people to be the BEST in the world :eyes: might be to some a 'noble goal' to the media and the sports industry/suppliers/beer sellers/lotto corps that requires a steady stream of delusional parents, their kids and highly questionable 'coaches', who presumeably are educators, it isn't to me.

That's my opinion...

[glarius]

20. Lighten up!

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

[MrPrax]

21. Keineswegs!

I did not see you at daily calisthenics, comrade?

That could look bad...

[glarius]

22. I repeat.....Lighten up....we all need a little fun!

We can save the world and still have some fun!

[V. Kid]

23. Well, I geuss I don't need to be too worried, Sweden beat the USA!!

Wow! That's really good for women's hockey, the more actual competitors the better.

[MrPrax]

24. We were both wrong...

Makes you wonder if the USA threw the game (for the sake of expansion) or Canada is really in a league of it's own...which makes all the more reason for the sport to 'brew' awhile...

(Hockey's really expensive though and unless those Euro countries are going to invest in dedicated rinks, the women there will have a heavy competition/expense for ice time to get good)