Neuchâtel, Switzerland, December 7, 2019 – The world’s top three seeds, defending champions Sweden, silver medal holders Finland and host-nation Switzerland all got off the mark on the opening day of the 2019 Women’s Floorball World Championship with routine wins, while Denmark, Norway and Australia also picked up key early victories in the lower groups.
With the Group A and B teams battling it out for a top-two place in the group to secure automatic passage to the quarter finals, registering an early and morale boosting win will be just what the top three seeds will have been hoping for as they eye up a return to the podium.
Meanwhile, a top two place in Group C and D will guarantee a playoff round place and a chance for those teams outside the top eight seeds to reach the quarter finals. Early wins to ease the pressure for Denmark, Norway and Australia could, therefore, be all important for their respective campaigns.
Patinoires du Littoral:
12:00: Finland 14:3 Poland (Group A)
Oona and Veera Kauppi inspired Finland to a resounding 14:3 opening win at the WFC 2019 against Poland, sending out a statement that the 2017 silver medalists mean business in returning to the podium and hopefully going one better in Neuchâtel. The Kauppis helped ease the Finns into a 5:2 lead at the first interval, with Dominika Buczek and Justyna Krzywak replying for Poland.
But the Scandinavians always maintained their grip on the game despite Poland’s defiance, with Veera Kauppi and Mia Karjalainen extending the lead before Agata Plechan pulled another goal back for the Poles. From there, the Finns scored seven unanswered goals to press home their advantage and cruise to a comfortable victory, with player of the match Oona Kauppi registering two goals and three assists throughout the match.
15:15 Switzerland 12:1 Germany (Group A)
After the big opening ceremony served as the prelude for host-nation Switzerland’s clash with Germany, the onus was on the home side to put on a show for their local fans. And put on a show they did as they powered to a 12:1 triumph over Germany before a raucous crowd.
Player of the match Corin Rüttimann scored an emphatic hattrick to ease the hosts into a 9:0 lead by the first interval, and they were never letting up from there, as further goals from Tanja Stella, Michelle Wiki and Mirjam Hintermann saw out a comfortable win, with Laura Honicke’s reply for Germany the only blemish on the hosts’ big day.
18:15 Slovakia 1:23 Sweden (Group B)
Reigning gold medalists Sweden cemented their status as world champions with an emphatic 1:23 win to ease aside Slovakia and get their title defence off to the perfect start.
The Swedes were in control from the start when Sofia Joelsson’s brace plus goals from Sara Steen and Moa Tschöp handed them a comfortable lead before the Slovaks even got onto the scoresheet through Michaela Sponiarova. Further strikes from Stephanie Boberg, Emelie Wibron, Amanda Delgado Johansson and an early hattrick strike from Joelsson ensured a commanding seven-goal lead at the first interval.
Sweden upped the ante after that, further goals from Tschop, Wibron, Joelsson, Johanna Hultgren and Cornelia Fjellstedt securing a twelve goal cushion heading into the final third.
Wibron then helped herself to three further goals before a brace for Alice Granstedt, and further strikes from Tschop, Myra Aggestal, Fjellstedt and Hultgren completed a 1:23 rout, the biggest winning margin of the opening day. A punishing evening for Slovakia, but they will be relieved to have got this one out of the way early.
La Riveraine:
12:00 Japan 0:5 Denmark (Group C)
A five-star performance from Denmark saw the Scandinavians put challengers Japan to the sword in a shutout victory and give an early boost to their hopes of a top-two place in Group C and a chance of reaching the playoff round for the quarter-finals.
Katrine Kamman Andersen, Cecilia Di Nardo, Maria Olausson, Lina Voldby and Jasmin Damm were the goalscorers for the Danes, but the pick of the Danish side was player of the match Damm, who was everywhere on the court throughout, and capped off a fine individual performance with a goal.
15:15: Estonia 4:7 Norway (Group C)
Norway kept up the pace with Scandinavian neighbours Denmark in Group C with a hard fought win over Estonia. Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen’s player of the match performance was the catalyst for the Norwegian win, with two assists and a clinical strike of her own.
They had to work to seize control of the game after Marie Gundersen’s opening strike was cancelled out by Estonia’s Kristi Rickberg, but three goals from Sofie Kristiansen, and further Ingebrigtsli Hansen and Gundersen strikes sandwiched Kati Kutisaar’s goal for the Baltic side to give Norway control. From there, the Norwegians rallied with three more clinical finishes to secure a 4:7 win, weathering the storm of a late brace from Estonia’s Edith Parnik to see out the win.
18:15 Australia 5:4 USA (Group D)
The all-anglophone affair was the only game of the opening day in Group D, and it served up a thriller as Australia seized the initiative in the group with a narrow 5:4 win over the USA.
The girls from Down Under were forced to come from behind after Christine Lindberg fires the Americans ahead, but a brace from Aussie youngster Yasmin Skene briefly turned the match on its head before Marie Haggstrom struck to restore parity at 2:2. Cue Australia’s key markswoman Blaise Hodges, who coolly finished to restore the Aussies’ lead before Amanda Bartrim added to their tally for vital breathing space at 4:2. Lindberg briefly threatened another USA comeback when she fired home to make it 4:3, but Hodges added a crucial fifth which proved enough to win the game; Selma Johansson’s late goal for the Americans no more than consolation.