WebPosted Thu Nov 28 10:54:17 2002
CBC SPORTS ONLINE

Canada pounds Finland at
ringette championship

What was supposed to be a match-up between the world's two ringette powers turned into a rout Wednesday.

Canada pounded the 2000 World Champions from Finland 11-4 at the 2002 World ringette championships being held in Edmonton, Alberta.

"We certainly didn't expect such a wide goal spread," said Maria Thompson, who had a hand in six of Canada's eleven goals.

"We stayed focused and we capitalized on the opportunities that were created. I think we took the game to another level and the Finns were not expecting that."

Danielle Hobday was named player of the game for Canada while Riikka Lehtinen received the honour for Finland.

"We were very strong in goal," said Lorrie Horne, head coach for Team Canada. "We also capitalized on our power play opportunities."

Ringette, a made-in-Canada sport, has become quietly popular here and abroad. There are currently over 24,600 players on nearly 2,000 teams across Canada with over 1,800 officials and 5,000 coaches. Internationally, it is played in half a dozen other countries.

Round robin play continues throughout the week with the finals scheduled for Saturday, November 30th.