U.S. Women in the Right Place

When Vicki Movsessian gave up her safe, routine job in the financial department of a Boston insurance company nearly two years ago, it was because something like this was possible.

What seemed so distant then moved within view for Movsessian and the rest of the U.S. women’s hockey team Wednesday after their 4-2 victory over Finland before a flag-waving crowd of 3,688 at Aqua Wing. With a 3-0 record in the inaugural women’s hockey tournament, the U.S. needed only a victory over Japan and a victory by Canada over Finland on Thursday to clinch a spot in the gold-medal game against Canada next Tuesday and render Saturday’s game against Canada virtually meaningless.

Given Japan’s 0-3 record and minus-28 goal differential--and knowing Canada has never lost to Finland--U.S. players were almost giddy with anticipation after defeating third-seeded Finland in an emotional but penalty-slowed game.

“We’re definitely on the brink of something big,” said Movsessian, who made a rare foray into the offensive zone to convert the rebound of a shot by Katie King for the game’s first goal, at 2:48 of the first period. “We all feel it.

“After December, when we came back together [after final roster cuts] in Colorado Springs, there was just a different feeling about the team because there wasn’t that internal stress. It strengthened our bond, and that bond has stayed strong. We continue to be confident. We’ve proven to ourselves that we can get the job done--and it takes a great team to get it done.”

The second-seeded U.S. got the job done Wednesday despite a valiant effort by Finland (2-1). “We lost against a very good hockey team,” Coach Rauno Korpi said. “We had our chances.”

Each time Finland took a stride forward, the U.S. surged ahead again.

Standout defenseman Kirsi Maaria Haenninen brought Finland even with a power-play goal at 18:09 of the first period, but Karyn Bye put the U.S. back ahead with her fourth goal of the tournament, a rebound from close range.

When U.S. goaltender Sarah Tueting misplayed the puck and gave it to Hanna-Riikka Nieminen to flick into an empty net at 5:27 of the second period while Finland was short-handed, that could have been demoralizing. Tueting joked that her mistake was caused by “my grandmother sneezing in Minneapolis,” but she could afford to smile because second-period goals by Tara Mounsey and Gretchen Ulion--both set up by Bye--proved decisive.

“Everyone is doing their best to make sure we’re in the best position heading into the Canada game,” Movsessian said. “If it’s penalty killing, digging the puck out of the corner, whatever.”

They took as many hits as they dished out Wednesday against a team whose skill level was noticeably higher than that of China and Sweden. “Any game with that intensity is going to be a physical game and women’s hockey is at a point where it can be played at that level,” Ulion said. “But we’re going to have to stay out of the [penalty] box. It’s great that our special teams have become a strong point and have really come together for us.”

Their game has been solid to this point--as solid as their confidence has become as they approach the dream they have sustained for so long.

“I’ve had my eyes set on this for I can’t even tell you how long,” Bye said. “I’m getting ready physically and mentally for what’s ahead. . . .

“We’ve taken our pre-Olympic tour against Canada and thrown it out the window. We know what they’re like and they know what we’re like. It’s going to come down to which team plays three strong periods.”