Canada and the United States set up another showdown in the final of the women’s ice hockey world championship after blowout wins in Saturday’s semifinals.
Canada routed Switzerland 8-1 after the Americans beat the Czech Republic 10-1.
Since the inaugural women’s worlds in 1990, Canada and the U.S. have faced each other in every final except 2019, when the Americans beat Finland for the title.
Canada has won the world championship 11 times and the United States nine times. They go at it again on Sunday.
Canada beat the U.S. in overtime in last year’s final in Calgary, which ended a run of five straight titles by the Americans. Canada also beat the U.S. in the Olympic final in Beijing in February but the U.S. topped the Canadians 5-2 on Tuesday in the group stage.
Amanda Kessel scored a hat trick to help the U.S. keep alive its streak of reaching the final at every worlds.
The U.S. led the Czechs, playing their first semifinal, 6-0 after the first period and added two more goals in each of the second and third periods.
Taylor Heise had two goals and three assists, and Hilary Knight scored twice to extend her own all-time tournament records to 89 points and 53 goals.
Klara Hymlarova made it 7-1 midway through the second.
Canada had seven different scorers against Switzerland, with Marie-Philip Poulin the only player to net twice.
– The Associated Press
