USA Advances to Gold Medal Game
November 10, 2006 | Women's Hockey
UW sophomore Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.), Krissy Wendell (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) combined for 12 points (4-8), while Chanda Gunn (Huntington Beach, Calif.) stopped all 18 shots she faced, as the U.S. Women's Select Team shut down Sweden, 7-0, to close out round-robin play at the 2006 Four Nations Cup Friday at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
With the victory and a 2-1 record, Team USA advances to tomorrow's (Nov. 11) gold-medal game against Canada at 3:00 p.m. CST.
The United States scored three times in each of the first two periods, then added a seventh goal in the final frame for the 7-0 count. Wendell had a goal and four assists, while linemates Darwitz and Lawler had four points (1-3) and three points (2-1), respectively.
'It was a lot of fun to watch,' said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson (Madison, Wis.), who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. 'We had a lot of energy and jump to our step. The team really played as a group and now they get to play for a gold medal, which is always special. '
Team USA came out strong in the opening period, putting up 24 shots and taking a 3-0 lead. Wendell put the United States on the scoreboard first when her shot from behind the goal line bounced off Swedish goaltender Kim Martin's pads and into the net at 5:36. She then set up her linemates for another pair of goals before the period was over.
At 15:45, Lawler caught a Wendell rebound on the doorstep and roofed it for her first career goal and a 2-0 U.S. lead. Team USA closed out first-period scoring with one second to spare as Darwitz beat Martin with a slap shot from the right faceoff circle off a cross-ice pass from Wendell at 19:59 while on the power play.
In the second frame, the U.S. contingency netted another trio of goals within a three-minute span to take a 6-0 lead. Lawler lit the lamp for the second time after Wendell sent her a saucer pass in front of the net at 9:42. Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.) scored U.S. goal number four from Darwitz and Wendell on the power play at 11:42, then Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.) put up her first career goal, also on the power play 59 seconds later off an Angela Ruggiero (Harper Woods, Mich.) rebound.
Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) closed out the scoring with her first career goal at 12:34 of the final period.
Team USA was 3-for-9 on the power play, while killing off all five of Sweden's man-advantage chances.
NOTES: Erika Lawler earned U.S. Player of the Game honors ... Team USA has scored a combined five power-play goals in the last two games ... Today's game was the first meeting between Sweden and the United States since the Swedes upset the Americans in a shootout (3-2) at the 2006 Olympics to advance to the gold-medal game ... Saturday 's (Nov. 11) gold-medal game will be broadcast live on TSN ' The United States has earned either the gold or silver medal in each of the nine years it has competed in the Four Nations Cup (Three Nations Cup from 1996-99), including back-to-back silver medals in 2004 and 2005 ' Joining Mark Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Hilary Witt (Hamden, Conn.), head women 's ice hockey coach at Yale University, and Erin Whitten Hamlen (Hampton, N.H.), associate head women's ice hockey coach at the University of New Hampshire.
Mark Johnson Weekly Media Conference || Wisconsin Women's Hockey || Oct. 14, 2025
Tuesday, October 14
Mark Johnson Weekly Media Conference || Wisconsin Women's Hockey || Sept. 30, 2025
Tuesday, September 30
2025 National Champions Celebration || Wisconsin Women's Hockey
Monday, March 24
Mark Johnson Postseason Media Conference || Wisconsin Women's Hockey || Mar. 18, 2025
Tuesday, March 18
