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VIERUMAKI, Finland -- Vicki Bendus had a hat trick Saturday as Canada hammered Slovakia 11-0 at the 12 Nations womens hockey tournament. Brandon Mebane Jersey . Haley Irwin, Jayna Hefford and Jesse Scanzano each added two apiece while Courtney Birchard and Mallory Deluce also scored as Canada outshot the Slovaks 73-8. Genevieve Lacasse picked up the win for Canada (3-0), while Monika Kvakova allowed all 11 goals for Slovakia (0-3). "We had our most complete game today," Canada head coach Dan Church said. "We played well on both sides of the puck and the areas that weve been working on tactically in our game have really been coming together. "Slovakia was probably the toughest defensively of the three teams that weve faced so far, so we had to be good both defensively and offensively." The Canadians have won the first three round-robin games of the tournament by a combined 41-1 score, but things will get much tougher Sunday against the world champions from the U.S. Church said that while every game is important, a meeting with the hockey rival has added significance. "Whenever you play the United States its a great game and these are the games that the players really look forward to because they are our rival," Church said. "Its almost like every game between Canada and the U.S. is like a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final." The 12 Nations is a new tournament on the womens hockey schedule. The International Ice Hockey Federation wants to close the large gaps in skill between countries by providing more competitive opportunities. Its hoped federations will put more resources into female hockey and that players will be motivated to improve their skills. Eight countries -- Canada, the U.S., Finland, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, Slovakia and Japan -- are facing each other in Finland, while France, Germany, Norway and the Czech Republic are playing in a mini-tournament simultaneously in Courcheval, France. Paul Richardson Authentic Jersey . And the Ottawa Redblacks linebacker wanted to be sure his words delivered their full effect. "Its an insult," he said over the phone Wednesday after the CFL Players Association lifted its media ban, giving its members the ability to speak openly about stalling collective bargaining talks. Derrick Coleman Authentic Jersey . The Predators announced that Rinne had been cleared for the next step of his recovery after meeting with doctors earlier Monday. Coach Barry Trotz said a meeting was planned for later Monday to set a weekly plan for Rinne. CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose broke for the corner, got the pass from Joakim Noah on a play theyd worked on in practice and let fly with a high arching jumper. The ball caught the rim, came back and fell through. Roses shot with 19.4 seconds to play Tuesday night put the Chicago Bulls ahead and was part of a closing 8-0 they needed beat the New Orleans Hornets 99-95. It was Rose to the rescue for the Bulls in a sluggish first game back from the All-Star break. He had 32 points, six in the finishing run that came after the Hornets had scored 13 straight to take a four-point lead. "I take crazy shots like that in practice all the time, they just give me confidence to take those shots where they are looking for me," Rose said. "We work on that in the end of practice. I stepped back and tried to shoot the ball up as high as I could." After losing Chris Paul and withstanding injuries to several key players, the Hornets, who are only 8-26, were on the verge of pulling off one of their biggest wins. Theyd gone into New York before the break and cooled off Jeremy Lin and the Knicks and now were threatening to beat a team that had beaten them 90-67 three weeks ago in New Orleans. "We should have won that game," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "Youve got to close games like that out." Noah had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls and Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng added 14 points apiece. Chris Kaman had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets and Trevor Ariza scored 16 points. The Hornets stunned the Bulls with the 13-0 run that turned a nine-point deficit into a four-point lead with 1:26 left. But then Rose took over. "We definitely held it together. Other teams I guess would have folded," Rose said. "We played toward the end I think the best defence we played throughout the whole game. We rebounded the ball, made great plays on the ball. ... We gave ourselves a chance." Rose hit two free throws and, after a New Orleans turnover, his miss was tapped in by Noah to tie the score at 95 with 52 seconds left. After a miss by Gustavo Ayon, the Bulls rebounded, called a timeout with 25.7 seconds to go. And when they camee back out, Roses jumper from the right baseline side finally settled into the basket. Anthony McCoy Jersey. "Derrick Rose came back and hit a tough shot," Ariza said. "Were a team that never gives us. Were going to play hard all the way through. But late turnovers cost us. The game we could have had for sure." Rose relishes taking the game-turning shots. "I always think about my legacy here, taking those shots," he said. "I want to be where I want to be at the end of my career." After Jarrett Jack couldnt connect for the Hornets, Rose hit two from the line with 10.6 second left for a 99-95 lead. Rose was fouled again with four seconds left and missed both but by then it was too late for the Hornets. Kyle Korver hit a 3 after missing his first four attempts and Rose scored on a left-handed layup to give Chicago a 91-82 lead with a little more than 5 minutes to go. But Marco Belinelli and Jack scored for New Orleans, chopping Chicagos lead to 91-86 with just under 4 minutes left. Ariza then hit a 3, Ayon had two baskets and Belinelli a driving basket in the unlikely spurt that put the Hornets up 95-91. Down three at the half, the Bulls came out in the third quarter and built a seven-point lead. Rose, who had 21 of his points in the second half, started it with a driving basket and Deng had seven points, including a 3-pointer. Boozers follow made it 66-59 halfway through the period. New Orleans kept scrapping, especially Kaman, and his follow-up hoop highlighted a 10-2 spurt that put New Orleans back on top by one Ronnie Brewer then scored twice and Rose had a twisting left-landed layup as the Bulls regained the lead 76-70 after three quarters. Guard Richard Hamilton returned to the Bulls lineup and appeared in just his 12th game this season. Bothered by a sore thigh he hadnt played since Jan. 29. He scored the games first basket and converted a three-point play but played only eight minutes in the first half. He finished with five points and five assists in 16 minutes and 51 seconds. NOTES: Injury update: Hornets F Carl Landry (left knee sprain) and C Jason Smith (concussion) are still a few days away from returning, Williams said. ' ' ' |
