For the week of Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2002

USA women take China to school

Olympians blank foes 13-0 in Boise

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By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

From a scoring standpoint, Saturday’s women’s hockey game between the USA and China was a snoozer, but it did not stop it from being absolutely enthralling.

US Olympic hockey forward Krissy Wendell, 20, a 5-6, 155-pounder from Brooklyn Park, Minn., was Saturday’s game MVP with 2 goals and 4 assists. Last year’s USA Hockey Women’s Player of the Year, Wendell started at catcher in the 1994 Little League World Series. Express photo by Willy Cook

From the moment the Olympians bounded through clouds of smoke on to the ice at the Bank of America Center in Boise, the capacity crowd of 5,265 was mesmerized.

"They are amazing," spectator Kathy Seal said. "It just inspires you to go out there and do your best, no matter what sport you do."

With clearly superior speed, skills and size, the USA outshot China 60-9 in a 13-0 blowout.

Forward Krissy Wendell (2 goals and 4 assists) was named the game’s Most Valuable Player and $1,000 was donated to the Salmon Rapids girls hockey program in her name.

U.S. blueliner Angela Ruggerio (2 goals) and China’s goalie Guo Hong were named Players of the Game. The "Coolest Goal of the Game" went to Katie King (hat trick) who shook two defenders off of her to and pocketed the puck.

The U.S. squad is now 30-0 overall and 23-0 during the Visa Skate to Salt Lake Tour.

Fan worship was not confined to the throngs of girls following the team around the Grove Hotel in hopes of an autograph.

Governor Dirk Kempthorne, who was named honorary captain for the United States before the game, remarked, "It was just a tremendous game and it was tremendous to have it here in Boise.

"What a preview to the Olympics!," he proclaimed.

 

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