U.S. Women Seek Hockey Superiority

Ron Wilson didn’t pay any attention to the Canada curse, and neither does Ben Smith.

As coach of Team USA at the World Cup of Hockey in Montreal last September, Wilson had the task of trying to find a way to beat Canada at its own game. He did in a dramatic three-game series, giving the United States the crown of international hockey superiority.

The loss sent Canada into mourning. Smith hopes to have the same effect at the Women’s World Championship.

“We’re carving out our niche,” said Smith, the new coach of the U.S. women’s team. “We want to have people looking at us for the same type of reasons.”

The eight-team tournament, which begins Monday in Kitchener, Ontario, will determine which five teams join Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. It is a big deal to the U.S. women.

“It’s a steppingstone for us into the Olympics,” U.S. star Cammi Granato said as the team held its final workouts. “We’re really hungry for a gold medal right now. We haven’t achieved our ultimate goal of winning a gold medal yet, so each time we get a chance it means a lot.”

The U.S. women have consistently beaten every team at the World Championship - every team except Canada.

In the inaugural tournament in 1990 at Ottawa, the Americans outscored Switzerland, Norway, Finland and Sweden by a combined 48-10 to get into the final, then lost 5-2 to Canada. In 1992 and 1994 it was more of the same: Canada won 8-0 and 6-3.

Gold, gold, gold for Canada, but silver, silver, silver for the United States.

The U.S. team believes it can end the string of frustration.

The Americans have played Canada three times this year, and each game was decided by one goal, with Canada winning two.

“We’re accomplishing what we want,” said Granato, 26, playing on her sixth national team.