U.S. routs Czechs to reach final of women’s hockey world championships

HERNING, Denmark — Amanda Kessel scored a hat trick and the United States kept alive its streak of reaching the final at every women’s ice hockey world championships after beating the Czech Republic 10-1 in the semifinals Saturday.

Taylor Heise had two goals and three assists, and Hilary Knight scored twice to extend her own all-time tournament records to 89 points and 53 goals.

The Americans will face Canada, which routed Switzerland 8-1, in the final. Since the inaugural women’s worlds in 1990, Canada and the U.S. have faced each other in every final except 2019, when the Americans beat Finland for the title.

Canada has won the world championship 11 times and the United States nine times. They go at it again on Sunday.

Canada beat the U.S. 3-2 in overtime in last year’s final in Calgary, which ended a run of five straight titles by the Americans.

Against the Czechs, the U.S. led 6-0 after the first period and added two more goals in each of the second and third periods. Klara Hymlarova made it 7-1 midway through the second.