UTICA, NY — The last four teams in the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship get set to determine who will play for the gold medal.
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Finland vs. United States
- When: Saturday, April 13
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Where: Adirondack Bank Center (Utica, N.Y.)
- Channel: NHL Network
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream
The U.S. is looking like a far more dominant team that helped the team win gold in Brampton last year. They control the play, they limit the other team’s top weapons, and have been leaving very little doubt.
Regardless of what kind of talent Finland has coming into this game, they are heavily outmatched. They will need goaltender Sanni Ahola to come up with the game of her life, and they will need all hands on deck to get offense going against a strong U.S. blueline.
Led by Kendall Coyne Schofield, the U.S. beat Finland, 5-3, in the group stage.
The United States has been to each of the 22 championship games since the tournament’s inception in 1990. Finland has only been to the Gold Medal Game at the Women’s Worlds once, that coming in the controversial 2019 Final against the Americans.
- Watch women’s hockey on FuboTV (7-day free trial)
Czechia vs. Canada
- When: Saturday, April 13
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Adirondack Bank Center (Utica, N.Y.)
- Channel: NHL Network
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream
For Canada to make it to another championship game, they can ill afford to allow Czechia to get comfortable in the game. Canada has the firepower to take control against Czechia like they did in their group-stage matchup. They are going to rely on their depth and veterans on Saturday.
If Canada were to take the Czechs lightly, it will burn them. Czechia has a little bit more depth than Sweden, and has plenty of experience. However, what the Czech side doesn’t have is the knowledge of what it takes to win in the semifinals at a major tournament. Maybe players like Adela Sapovalivova and Tereza Plosova can bring the same magic that helped them beat Canada in the Under-18 semifinals in January.
Canada beat Czechia, 5-1, this past Sunday, and has advanced to 21 of the 22 Women’s World Championship Games.