Stars Step Up On Opening Day Of The U-18 World Championships

On the opening day of the IIHF U-18 World Championships, each nation's big names stepped up and produced. Here's a look at the action from the opening day in Switzerland.

The U-18 Women's World Championships got underway today in Zug, Switzerland with three games on the docket. Sweden and Canada picked up decisive wins, while Finland and Czechia fought to a close finish. 

Here's a look at each game.

Czechia got off to a hot start, but Finland managed to erase a two-goal deficit to earn a 3-2 win. After Adela Sapovalivova scored a pair of goals for Czechia, Emma Ekoluoma took over and lifted Finland to the win.

Ekoluoma scored a hat trick in the final 24-minutes of the game. Julia Kuusisto and Abigail Byskata each had two assists. Czechia outshot Finland 30-20 in the game, but Kerttu Kuja-Halkola shut the door in net for the Finns.

Everything went as planned for Sweden in a 6-1 opening win over Switzerland as their big guns showed up and produced. Hilda Svensson and Isabelle Leijonhielm each had two goals and an assist, while Ebba Hebqvist had a goal and three assists, and Mira Hallin had a goal and two helpers to round out the scoring. Each of those players are already contributing in Sweden's SDHL, the second best league in the world outside the PWHL.

Chloe Primerano, nicknamed "Prime Time" made her IIHF entrance notable scoring two goals and five points from Canada's blueline. She was Canada's top producer in a lopsided 11-0 win where Germany only managed four shots while Canada fired 68 on Germany. Sienna D'Alessandro scored a hat trick for Canada while Caitlin Kraemer and Morgan Jackson also had multi-goal games scoring a pair each.

Kraemer's two goals make her the active goal scoring leader at the U-18 tournament adding to the 10 she scored last year. Her 12 goals sits only one shy of the all-time Canadian record of 13 at the U-18 tournament which is currently held by Canadian national team and PWHL Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin.