USA cruised through the World Championship quarterfinals with their veterans opening the scoring, handing off to the youth in a lopsided win over Japan.
USA cruised through the World Championship quarterfinals with their veterans opening the scoring, handing off to the youth in a lopsided win over Japan.
UTICA, New York — After Team USA's veterans set the tone, its youth took over.
Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight had four points apiece and Abbey Murphy contributed three as the United States romped in a 10-0 quarterfinal win over Japan on Thursday at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
Carpenter had two goals and two assists, while Knight chipped in a goal and set up three more for the Americans, who will face Finland in the semifinal on Saturday.
"They're truly such good leaders on and off the ice," Murphy said of the Americans' top line of Carpenter, Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield. "They set the pace, they set the limits. It truly is so fun to play with those three and just watch them grind and do things that just no one else can. It's cool for us younger kids to just learn from them and be inspired."
After the Americans took a commanding 3-0 lead on goals by Lacey Eden, Knight and Carpenter by the 12-minute mark of the first period, the U.S. leaned on its youth.
Minnesota's Murphy scored twice in the second period. Wisconsin's Kirsten Simms and Caroline Harvey, Ohio State's Joy Dunne and Penn State's Tessa Janecke also scored.
Of Team USA's eight goal scorers, six played in the NCAA this season and will return to play collegiate hockey in the fall.
"We have a lot of pressure on us, so I think every time we do get on the scoresheet, it's just fun," Murphy said of Team USA's younger players. "We're just trying to do anything we can in any way, whether it's a assist or a goal."
"There's a number of them, so they're learning on the job," United States Coach John Wroblewski said. "Credit to our veterans again. They showed up to play like they should and scored some big goals and some beautiful goals, too."
Aerin Frankel finished with 14 saves for her third shutout of the tournament.
Eden opened the scoring at 3:59 of the first period, banking a backhand from along the right goal line between goalie Riko Kawaguchi's pads.
Knight doubled the score a little more than 4 1/2 minutes later, crashing the net and burying a Carpenter pass from behind the goal line. Carpenter then took advantage of a centering pass by Coyne Schofield which hit the skate of Japanese defender in the low slot and scored bar down at 11:51.
The Americans' built a 6-0 lead on goals by Simms, Murphy and Dunne in the opening eight minutes of the second period, chasing Kawaguchi from the net. The Japanese netminder finished with 27 saves. She was replaced by Miyuu Masuhara, who made 11 saves over the final 32 minutes.
Japan's best chance came halfway through the contest. After defender Megan Keller failed to navigate around a broken stick in the high slot, Haruka Toko jumped on the loose puck and skated in on a partial breakaway. Frankel denied the Japanese forward with a pair of right pad saves on the initial shot and rebound.
"They're amazing team, we have a lot to learn from them," Akane Hosoyamada said. "Throughout this experience, we know we've got to build off of that and come back stronger next year."