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BURLINGTON, Vt. Randall Cobb Womens Jersey . -- Canada opened the womens world hockey championship on a sour note. Theyre looking for a sweet ending. A 9-2 loss to the U.S. to start the tournament was the worst beating Canada has ever taken from the Americans in womens hockey. The rematch between the two countries Saturday is for the gold medal. "We know were a much better team than we played the first game," Canadian assistant captain Caroline Ouellette said. "Were excited to prove it tomorrow. "Were kind of the underdogs. People who were at the game probably think the U.S. is going to win for sure. Honestly, its the position that Id rather be in. Theres no pressure for us. We want to come out and play with confidence. Canada beat Finland 5-1 and the U.S. thumped Switzerland 10-0 in Fridays semifinals. Canada and the U.S. will have met for gold in 14 womens world championships since the first was held in Ottawa in 1990. Canada has a 9-4 record in world finals versus the U.S., but hasnt won one since 2007 in Winnipeg. The Americans are winners of three straight and four of the last five, including a 3-2 overtime victory last year in Zurich, Switzerland. This may be the best womens hockey team that U.S. has had to date. Coached by Harvards Katey Stone, theyre quick, skilled, relentless and confident. Their top line of Kelli Stack centring twin sisters Monique Lamoureux-Kolls and Jocelyne Lamoureux has been lethal in this tournament. "Canada doesnt like getting beat 9-2 and neither would we if the situations were switched," Lamoureux-Kolls said. "We know the game isnt going to be anything like that tomorrow. "We know its going to be tough. I dont think we can let ourselves be overconfident." Canada should be more prepared ready for the American attack this time, as well as the loud crowd support the home team will have at 3,335-seat Gutterson Fieldhouse. About 300 tickets were still available Friday. Canadas defence, which has been suspect at times, will be tested early and often. "They have a lot of speed and we have to find a way to match that speed or kill that speed," Canadian head coach Dan Church said. "To be able to weather the storm against a skilled, fast team, we need to be able to do that. Theyre going to bring pressure. We need to play on our toes, not on our heels." Church doesnt make his starting goaltender public until game day. Shannon Szabados, who made 14 saves Friday against the Finns, has been Canadas choice in recent big games. She played most of the first period of the U.S. game after Charline Labonte was pulled, but Labonte went back in for the second period. Szabados stopped nine of 11 shots from the Americans in her 16 minutes and 28 seconds of work. "If its me or Charlie, for the whole entire team, the first five minutes, the first 10 minutes are going to be huge," Szabados said. Canada can draw confidence from their start against the Finland. They scored twice in the first five minutes on Noora Raty, who is arguably the best female goalie in the international game right now. Finland exposed cracks in Canadas defence. The Canadians can compensate for those mistakes against a country that has never beaten them. Canada fumbled the puck at times coming out of their own zone into Finlands trap. The U.S. will make them pay dearly for miscues Saturday. "I think we have to keep it simple," Ouellette said. "If you watched the game against the U.S., often when they had nothing they put it up against the glass and out and used their speed to go get it. "When everything is on the line, sometimes you have to just celebrate getting the puck out of the zone." Defenders Courtney Birchard, Lauriane Rougeau and Laura Fortino, plus forward Vicky Bendus, Bailey Bram and Brianne Jenner will play in their first world championship final for Canada. "We need our young players to play with confidence tomorrow and know they have all the skills to play at this level and make a difference, to be a difference," Ouellette said. "If we can do that tomorrow, well probably have more success than in the first game." Canada has a longer rest for the final after their afternoon semifinal. The U.S. wont be much fatigued after their romp over the Swiss, in which they outshot them 80-10. Finland will face the Swiss for bronze Saturday. In other games, Sweden edged Russia 2-1 in overtime for fifth place. Germany downed Slovakia 3-1, which relegated the Slovaks to the second-tier world championship in 2013. Meghan Agosta and Marie-Philip Poulin led Canadas offence Friday with a goal and an assist apiece. Ouellette, Birchard and Fortino scored goals and Natalie Spooner contributed a pair of assists for Canada. Karolina Rantamaki scored Finlands lone goal on a power play and Raty made 38 saves in the loss. Andrew Quarless Elite Jersey . Entering the day in second place behind overnight leader Vincenzo Nibali, the 41-year-old Horner pulled away from the Giro dItalia champion over the final meters of the uphill ascent to turn a three-second deficit into a three-second lead with just two days to go. Morgan Burnett Jersey . More than a month after signing the free agent centre, Bynum is expected to make his debut with Indiana on Tuesday night against Boston. NEW YORK -- For nearly three years, Jadeveon Clowney couldnt wait to get to the NFL, and the league was just as eager to add the player some called the best defensive prospect in a decade. No surprise: Clowney is the Texans man. But Thursdays first pick of the NFL draft didnt come without some intrigue about how it would all turn out. There had been criticism of Clowneys work ethic last season and questions about whether the Texans would hold or trade the No. 1 slot. "I just been proving a lot of people wrong throughout my life," Clowney said. "Growing up, I grew up hard. I always said Im going to do something great. Hopefully, Im going to be a Hall of Famer one day." Houston will take that. This drafts other big name, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, sat with a sullen look on his face until Cleveland made its third trade of the round and grabbed the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at No. 22. To rousing cheers and chants of "Johnny, Johnny," Manziel smiled widely as he walked onto the Radio City Music Hall stage. "If you call it a slide, I wouldnt call it that at all," he said. "I was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. "Its a great story. Its great for me to end up there, at a team that has fans that are as passionate as I am on the field." Manziels wait added plenty of suspense nearly three hours after the Texans took their time selecting Clowney. Rarely does a team not reveal the top overall choice until it is announced, and there was wide speculation the Texans had soured on the defensive end, whose junior season at South Carolina was accompanied by criticism he played it safe to stay healthy for the pros. After Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick, fans filling Radio City Music Hall to capacity applauded Clowney as he held up his index finger, his eyes moist, a relieved look on his face. Just like the 30 prospects on hand, the fans were extra eager to see who would wind up where after the draft was pushed back from late April because the theatre was unavailable. "Its been a long time. It just kicked in at the end there, man, Ive been drafted," he said. Clowney, 21, brings size, speed and power to a lineup that already has 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. His diligence had been questioned after he slipped from 13 sacks to just three in 2013. Critics said he was protecting himself from injury in his junior year before declaring early for the draft. He is the first defensive player taken first overall since Houston selected another end, Mario Williams, in 2006. Williams now is with Buffalo. Houston also made the top pick in its first season, 2002, taking quarterback David Carr. He never lived up to that billing; the Texans hope Clowney has more of an impact. Tackle Greg Robinson, whose blocking helped high-powered Auburn make the national championship game last season, went second to St. Louis. The Rams owned the pick as the final payment for a 2012 trade with Waashington that allowed the Redskins to draft quarterback Robert Griffin III. James Starks Elite Jersey. St. Louis is concerned about the health of starting left tackle Jake Long, who is coming off knee surgery. The first quarterback to go went to Jacksonville in the third slot, but it wasnt Johnny Football. Blake Bortles of Central Florida, whose stock shot up last season and in subsequent workouts. At 6-5, 232, Bortles drew comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger because of his combination of size and mobility. Jacksonville missed the last time it took a QB in the first round, Blaine Gabbert in 2011. The Jaguars gave up on the inconsistent Gabbert, who struggled to read defences and was benched for journeyman Chad Henne. Gabbert is now a backup in San Francisco. "Hes a down-to-earth guy, a self-made guy, a blue-collar guy and he wants to be the best he can be," said Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell, who added a word of caution: "He just needs a little bit of time." Seeing a chance to grab playmaking receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson, Buffalo swapped spots with Cleveland, also sending a first- and fourth-round selection next year to move up from ninth to fourth. "Dynamic playmaker, and thats what this game is all about," Bills GM Doug Whaley said of Watkins. "Hes automatically going to make our quarterback (EJ Manuel) better." Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews, the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, went to Atlanta with the sixth overall pick. The Falcons leaked so badly on the offensive line in 2013 as they plummeted from NFC South champion to 4-12 that Matt Ryan was sacked 44 times. Another Aggies star was chosen next, receiver Mike Evans to Tampa Bay. The 6-4, 231-pound Evans is durable, versatile -- and quite emotional. He also couldnt hold back the tears when Goodell called his name. The crowd thought Manziel might go eighth when Cleveland traded up one spot to get Minnesotas pick. So when the Browns took cornerback Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State, there was a loud groan from the fans. Gilbert smiled wryly as he shook Goodells hand. Minnesota grabbed UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, Detroit selected North Carolinas Eric Ebron, by far the best tight end in this crop, and Tennessee filled a need on the offensive line with Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan. Finally, a local team was on the clock and the audience approved lustily when the Giants chose LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham was followed by Pitt DT Aaron Donald to St. Louis, Virginia Tech CB Kyle Fuller to Chicago, Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier to Ohio State, Notre Dame G Zack Martin to Dallas, Alabama LB C.J. Mosley to Baltimore and, as fans chanted "J-E-T-S," Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is New York-bound. Minnesota finished off the opening round by trading with Seattle to select Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater, the third quarterback taken. Bridgewater was an early entrant into the draft, but already had graduated. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
