Team USA wins gold at Euro Tour
by Chris JUREWICZ|15 DEC 2024
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Tampere, FINLAND – Abbey Murphy’s third-period goal with 4:34 to play was the difference as Team USA won the 2024 Euro Women’s Hockey Tour 5-3 over Canada on Sunday.

The U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select Team finished the six-team tournament with a perfect 4-0-0 record. But it didn’t come easy as the United States took a 3-1 lead into the final period against Canada just to see the lead evaporate with two Canadian goals in less than four minutes by Jocelyn Amos and Alex Law.

That set the stage for Murphy, who was a force all tournament long, as her shot beat Canada’s Eve Gascon one minute 20 seconds after the Canadians had tied the game.

“This team played gritty all game,” said USA head coach John Wroblewski. “Canada came out swinging but we put our heads down and played our game. Abbey Murphy was a difference maker.”

Sloane Matthews iced the game with an empty-netter with just under two minutes to play.

Canada’s National Women’s Development Team (a group made up of players aged 23 and under) took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Anne Cherkowski scored on a penalty shot, beating American goaltender Ava McNaughton.

Team USA would answer in the second with three goals in a four-minute span by Lacey Eden, Tessa Janecke and Sydney Morrow to take control of the game. And the US was able to withstand the Canadian attack in the third. McNaughton made 17 saves for the win in net.

This was the third of four Euro Women’s Tour events on the schedule for 2024-25. The final event will be a three-nations tournament held in Czechia in February, with the host team joined by Finland and Switzerland.
Sweden will not compete as there’s a scheduling conflict with Olympic qualification, which is being held in Sweden at the same time.
 

Sweden 2, Finland 1 (bronze medal game)

Following a scoreless first period, Lisa Johansson got things going for the Swedes with an even-strength goal at 11:45 of the second.

Sweden made it 2-0 when Hanna Thuvik scored at 11:55 of the third but the Finns wouldn’t go away quietly, with Sanni Vanhanen scoring shorthanded just 30 seconds after Thuvik’s goal.

Despite a 28-10 edge in shots – including 10-5 in the third – the host Finns couldn’t get a second goal and Sweden held on for the bronze medal win.

Czechia 3, Switzerland 0

Czechia earned fifth place following its second win over Switzerland in as many days.

Following Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Swiss, Adela Sapovalivova scored twice and Michaela Pejzlova added one as the Czechs won 3-0 on Sunday for a combined 5-0 two-game score.