Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics – Women's tournament

1998 Winter Olympics
Tournament details
Host country Japan
Venue(s)2 (in 1 host city)
Dates8–17 February
Teams6
Final positions
Champions  United States (1st title)
Runner-up  Canada
Third place  Finland
Fourth place China
Tournament statistics
Games played17
Goals scored119 (7 per game)
Attendance81,707 (4,806 per game)
Scoring leader(s)Finland Riikka Nieminen (12 points)
2002 →
Ice hockey at the
1998 Winter Olympics
Qualification
men
Tournament
menwomen
Rosters
menwomen

The 1998 Olympic women's ice hockey tournament was the first year that featured women in ice hockey competition.[1] It was anticipated that the women's gold medal match would feature Canada versus the United States.[2] Canada was favored to come out on top as they had won all the competitions in previous years in women's hockey, with the United States perpetually finishing second, while no other national teams could match their level of play. However, the United States beat Canada in the final and became the first country to win gold in women's ice hockey at the Olympics.[3][4][5][6][7]

Petra Vaarakallio scored the first-ever goal in women's ice hockey at the Olympics in 1998. She had won bronze at the 1992 World Ringette Championships but stopped playing ringette after receiving a six-month suspension for kicking an opponent who was lying on the ice.

There were no qualification tournaments, the host Japan played alongside the top five nations at the previous season's World Championships.

Rosters

Main article: Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics – Women's team rosters

Preliminary round

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  United States 5 5 0 0 33 7 +26 10 Gold medal game
2  Canada 5 4 0 1 28 12 +16 8
3  Finland 5 3 0 2 27 10 +17 6 Bronze medal game
4  China 5 2 0 3 10 15 −5 4
5  Sweden 5 1 0 4 10 21 −11 2
6  Japan (H) 5 0 0 5 2 45 −43 0
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts

All times are local (UTC+9).

8 February 1998
12:00		Sweden 0–6
(0–2, 0–2, 0–2)		 FinlandAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 2,208
Game reference
Annica ÅhlénGoaliesTuula PuputtiReferee:
Marina Zenk
Linesmen:
Debra Parece
Evonne Young
0–108:35 – Vaarakallio (Huotari)
0–215:17 – Ikonen (Selin) (PP)
0–322:35 – Reima (Fisk)
0–434:07 – Nieminen (Reima)
0–555:11 – Krooks
0–658:20 – Ikonen
16 minPenalties12 min
12Shots28
8 February 1998
16:00		Canada 13–0
(3–0, 6–0, 4–0)		 JapanAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 4,597
Game reference
Lesley Reddon
Manon Rhéaume		GoaliesHaruka Watanabe
Yuka Oda		Referee:
Victoria Renfer-Kale
Linesmen:
Johanna Kuisma
Sigrid Nonas
Goyette (Wickenheiser) – 05:461–0
Heaney – 15:422–0
Wickenheiser (Wilson, Campbell) – 17:053–0
Goyette (Wilson, Brisson) – 24:234–0
Brisson (Wickenheiser) – 28:125–0
Campbell (Diduck) – 31:226–0
Wilson (Goyette) – 35:437–0
Kellar (Sunohara) – 36:148–0
Wickenheiser (Wilson) (PP) – 38:089–0
Diduck (Campbell) – 53:5210–0
St-Louis (Heaney, Kellar) (PP) – 55:2611–0
Goyette – 56:2112–0
Smith (St-Louis) (PP) – 58:0613–0
12 minPenalties12 min
64Shots3
8 February 1998
20:00		China 0–5
(0–2, 0–1, 0–2)		 United StatesAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 3,255
Game reference
Guo HongGoaliesSarah TuetingReferee:
Laurie Taylor-Bolton
Linesmen:
Isabelle Giguère
Sandra Dombrowski
0–107:39 – Granato (Ulion, Schmidgall) (PP)
0–219:17 – Bye (Mounsey) (PP)
0–334:53 – Mounsey (King)
0–451:05 – Schmidgall (Bye)
0–556:20 – Granato (King)
14 minPenalties10 min
10Shots31
9 February 1998
12:00		Finland 11–1
(2–0, 3–0, 6–1)		 JapanAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 4,972
Game reference
Liisa-Maria SneckGoaliesHaruka Watanabe
Yuka Oda		Referee:
Laurie Taylor-Bolton
Linesmen:
Sigrid Nonas
Evonne Young
Lankosaari (Riipi, Krooks) – 03:541–0
Riipi (Lankosaari) – 18:452–0
Reima (Fisk, Hänninen) – 27:223–0
Hänninen (PP) – 33:294–0
Hänninen (Nieminen, Ikonen) (PP) – 38:235–0
Rantamäki – 45:436–0
6–148:28 – Hatanaka (Fujiwara, Yoshimi) (PP)
Nieminen (Lehto) – 49:067–1
Krooks – 49:528–1
Hänninen (Nieminen) (PP) – 50:429–1
Lehto (Nieminen) – 52:5510–1
Nieminen (Fisk, Lehtimäki) – 54:4011–1
16 minPenalties42 min
49Shots9
9 February 1998
16:00		United States 7–1
(1–1, 4–0, 2–0)		 SwedenAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 3,607
Game reference
Sara DeCostaGoaliesAnnica ÅhlénReferee:
Manuela Gröger
Linesmen:
Isabelle Giguère
Marina Zenk
0–110:02 – Morelius (Sjölander, Holst) (PP)
Baker (Merz) – 16:271–1
Bye (Merz, Mounsey) (PP) – 32:392–1
King (Blahoski) – 34:263–1
Merz – 36:204–1
Bye (SH) – 38:395–1
Ulion (Granato) (PP) – 54:286–1
Looney (SH) – 55:307–1
14 minPenalties24 min
47Shots3
9 February 1998
20:00		Canada 2–0
(0–0, 2–0, 0–0)		 ChinaAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 2,713
Game reference
Manon RhéaumeGoaliesGuo HongReferee:
Sandra Dombrowski
Linesmen:
Johanna Kuisma
Debra Parece
Goyette (Wickenheiser) – 24:381–0
Sunohara (Heaney) (PP) – 35:382–0
6 minPenalties14 min
40Shots8
11 February 1998
12:00		Sweden 3–5
(0–2, 2–2, 1–1)		 CanadaAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 5,429
Game reference
Charlotte GöthessonGoaliesLesley ReddonReferee:
Victoria Renfer-Kale
Linesmen:
Debra Parece
Evonne Young
0–109:30 – Goyette
0–210:06 – Nystrom (Drolet)
0–326:23 – Drolet (Kellar) (PP)
Rooth (Almblad) – 28:381–3
1–435:05 – Brisson (SH)
Burholm (Holst) (PP) – 38:112–4
2–540:34 – Goyette (Wickenheiser, Wilson)
Månsson (Sjölander) – 42:113–5
34 minPenalties20 min
11Shots38
11 February 1998
16:00		Japan 1–6
(0–0, 0–3, 1–3)		 ChinaAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 5,863
Game reference
Yuka OdaGoaliesGuo HongReferee:
Manuela Gröger
Linesmen:
Johanna Kuisma
Sigrid Nonas
0–132:21 – Yang (Li, Liu H.)
0–232:35 – Guo W. (Yang)
0–333:45 – Zhang L. (Lu)
M. Sato (Obikawa) (PP) – 22:251–3
1–446:31 – Guo W. (Gong) (PP)
1–552:24 – Sang (Xu)
1–655:19 – Guo W. (Liu H.)
12 minPenalties18 min
7Shots44
11 February 1998
20:00		United States 4–2
(1–1, 3–1, 0–0)		 FinlandAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 3,688
Game reference
Sarah TuetingGoaliesTuula PuputtiReferee:
Marina Zenk
Linesmen:
Isabelle Giguère
Laurie Taylor-Bolton
Movsessian (King) – 02:481–0
1–118:09 – Hänninen (Lehto, Nieminen) (PP)
Bye (Schmidgall) – 21:222–1
2–225:27 – Nieminen (SH)
Mounsey (Bye, Merz) (PP) – 26:493–2
Ulion (Bye) – 36:564–2
18 minPenalties10 min
25Shots22
12 February 1998
12:00		China 3–1
(0–0, 0–1, 3–0)		 SwedenAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 3,670
Guo HongGoaliesAnnica ÅhlénReferee:
Marina Zenk
Linesmen:
Johanna Kuisma
Debra Parece
0–131:10 – Sjölander (Almblad)
Zhang L. (Yang, Liu H.) – 46:421–1
Liu H. (Wang) – 50:382–1
Yang (Zhang L., Guo W.) – 58:083–1
8 minPenalties10 min
23Shots23
12 February 1998
16:00		United States 10–0
(5–0, 2–0, 3–0)		 JapanAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 5,015
Sara DeCostaGoaliesHaruka Watanabe
Yuka Oda		Referee:
Laurie Taylor-Bolton
Linesmen:
Isabelle Giguère
Sigrid Nonas
Looney – 03:551–0
Mleczko (Merz) – 09:082–0
Whyte (Granato) – 13:323–0
Looney (Ulion, Schmidgall) (PP) – 14:144–0
Mleczko (Brown-Miller, Looney) – 14:365–0
King (Baker, Bailey) – 29:186–0
King (Blahoski, Baker) – 39:347–0
Baker (Granato) (PP) – 45:378–0
Bye (Mounsey, Ulion) (PP) – 51:469–0
King (Baker) – 53:0310–0
8 minPenalties12 min
56Shots4
12 February 1998
20:00		Finland 2–4
(0–2, 1–2, 1–0)		 CanadaAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 3,133
Liisa-Maria Sneck
Tuula Puputti		GoaliesManon RhéaumeReferee:
Sandra Dombrowski
Linesmen:
Manuela Gröger
Evonne Young
0–112:45 – Brisson (Sunohara) (PP)
0–216:50 – Heaney (Drolet) (PP)
0–328:53 – Brisson (St-Louis)
Vaarakallio (Fisk) – 33:251–3
1–436:26 – Goyette (Heaney, Diduck) (PP)
Rantamäki (Vaarakallio) – 53:322–4
10 minPenalties10 min
21Shots23
14 February 1998
12:00		Japan 0–5
(0–2, 0–2, 0–1)		 SwedenAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 6,009
Yuka OdaGoaliesCharlotte GötessonReferee:
Sandra Dombrowski
Linesmen:
Isabelle Giguère
Debra Parece
0–110:58 – Andersson (PP)
0–218:33 – Holst (Elfsberg)
0–325:34 – Gustafsson (Elfving)
0–431:15 – Rooth (Andersson, Holst) (PP)
0–559:18 – Holst (Rooth)
12 minPenalties14 min
15Shots30
14 February 1998
16:00		Finland 6–1
(2–0, 2–1, 2–0)		 ChinaAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 5,638
Tuula PuputtiGoaliesHuo Lina
Guo Hong		Referee:
Victoria Renfer-Kale
Linesmen:
Laurie Taylor-Bolton
Evonne Young
Ikonen – 01:081–0
Lehtimäki (Hänninen) – 09:562–0
Fisk (Lehtimäki) – 24:373–0
3–124:50 – Liu H. (Wang)
Nieminen (SH) – 27:574–1
Lehtimäki (Hänninen) – 44:205–1
Nieminen – 57:096–1
8 minPenalties6 min
33Shots9
14 February 1998
20:00		Canada 4–7
(1–1, 0–0, 3–6)		 United StatesAqua Wing Arena
Attendance: 5,872
Lesley ReddonGoaliesSarah Tueting
Sara DeCosta		Referee:
Manuela Gröger
Linesmen:
Johanna Kuisma
Sigrid Nonas
Dupuis (Sunohara) (PP) – 03:011–0
1–119:20 – Granato (PP)
Dupuis (Brisson) (PP) – 41:242–1
Hefford (Dupuis) (PP2) – 45:283–1
Brisson (Wilson, Wickenheiser) (PP) – 45:534–1
4–247:05 – Baker (King)
4–350:57 – Granato (Ulion, Mounsey) (PP2)
4–452:25 – Schmidgall (Granato) (PP)
4–552:48 – Dunn (Mleczko)
4–657:06 – Brown-Miller (Mleczko)
4–758:58 – Baker (ENG)
18 minPenalties30 min
35Shots30

Final round

Bronze medal game

17 February 1998
14:00		3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Finland 4–1
(0–1, 3–0, 1–0)		 ChinaBig Hat
Attendance: 7,412
Game reference
Tuula PuputtiGoaliesGuo HongReferee:
Laurie Taylor-Bolton
Linesmen:
Johanna Kuisma
Evonne Young
0–109:27 − Yang
Fisk (Nieminen, Lehto) − 23:071–1
Ikonen (Vaarakallio, Rantamäki) − 27:082–1
Lankosaari (Riipi, Krooks) − 30:153–1
Nieminen (Lehtimäki) (ENG) − 59:524–1
0 minPenalties8 min
23Shots9

Gold medal game

17 February 1998
18:00		1st place, gold medalist(s) United States 3–1
(0–0, 1–0, 2–1)		 Canada 2nd place, silver medalist(s)Big Hat
Attendance: 8,626
Game reference
Sarah TuetingGoaliesManon RhéaumeReferee:
Marina Zenk
Linesmen:
Isabelle Giguère
Debra Parece
Ulion (Whyte, Merz) (PP) − 22:381–0
Looney (Whyte, Ulion) (PP) − 50:572–0
2–155:59 − Goyette (Wickenheiser, Heaney) (PP)
Whyte (ENG) − 59:523–1
8 minPenalties6 min
24Shots22

Medalists

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Women's tournament  United States
Alana Blahoski
A. J. Mleczko
Angela Ruggiero
Cammi Granato (C)
Chris Bailey
Colleen Coyne
Lisa Brown-Miller
Gretchen Ulion
Jenny Schmidgall
Karyn Bye (A)
Katie King
Laurie Baker
Tricia Dunn
Sandra Whyte
Sara DeCosta (G)
Sarah Tueting (G)
Shelley Looney
Sue Merz
Tara Mounsey
Vicki Movsessian
Head coach: Ben Smith 		 Canada
Becky Kellar
Cassie Campbell
Danielle Goyette
Fiona Smith
France Saint-Louis
Geraldine Heaney
Hayley Wickenheiser
Jayna Hefford
Jennifer Botterill
Judy Diduck
Karen Nystrom
Kathy McCormack
Laura Schuler
Lesley Reddon (G)
Lori Dupuis
Manon Rhéaume (G)
Nancy Drolet
Stacy Wilson (C)
Thérèse Brisson (A)
Vicky Sunohara
Head coach: Shannon Miller 		 Finland
Emma Terho
Riikka Nieminen (A)
Johanna Ikonen
Karoliina Rantamäki
Katja Riipi
Katja Lehto
Kirsi Hänninen (A)
Liisa-Maria Sneck (G)
Maria Selin
Marianne Ihalainen (C)
Marika Lehtimäki
Marja-Helena Pälvilä
Päivi Salo
Petra Vaarakallio
Sanna Lankosaari
Sari Fisk
Sari Krooks
Satu Huotari
Tiia Reima
Tuula Puputti (G)
Head coach: Rauno Korpi

Final rankings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1st place, gold medalist(s)  United States 6 6 0 0 36 8 +28 12
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Canada 6 4 0 2 29 15 +14 8
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Finland 6 4 0 2 31 11 +20 8
4  China 6 2 0 4 11 19 −8 4
5  Sweden 5 1 0 4 10 21 −11 2
6  Japan (H) 5 0 0 5 2 45 −43 0
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts

Statistics

Scoring leaders

List shows the top ten skaters sorted by points, then goals.

Player GP G A Pts +/− PIM POS
Finland Riikka Nieminen 6 7 5 12 +14 4 F
Canada Danielle Goyette 6 8 1 9 +10 10 F
United States Karyn Bye 6 5 3 8 +4 4 F
United States Cammi Granato 6 4 4 8 +2 0 F
United States Katie King 6 4 4 8 +10 2 F
United States Gretchen Ulion 6 3 5 8 3 4 F
Canada Hayley Wickenheiser 6 2 6 8 +7 4 F
Canada Thérèse Brisson 6 5 2 7 +5 6 D
United States Laurie Baker 6 4 3 7 +10 6 F
Finland Kirsi Hänninen 6 4 3 7 +13 6 D

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalties in minutes; POS = Position
Source: eurohockey.com

Leading goaltenders

Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, are included in this list.

Player TOI GA SA Sv% SO
United States Sarah Tueting 210 4 64 93.75 1
Canada Manon Rhéaume 208 4 54 92.59 1
Sweden Charlotte Göthesson 120 5 53 90.57 1
Finland Tuula Puputti 271 7 67 89.55 1
China Guo Hong 350 16 150 89.33 0

TOI = Time on ice (minutes); GA = Goals against; SA = Shots against; Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts

References

  1. ^ "Ice Hockey | Ice Hockey – Move over boys". BBC News. 1998-02-13. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  2. ^ "1998 Women's Ice Hockey Team". United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  3. ^ "Olympic OK crucial for growth". Espn.com. 2014-02-14. Archived from the original on 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  4. ^ "U.S. Women Top Canada". Washingtonpost.com. 1998-02-17. Archived from the original on 2021-10-16. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  5. ^ "A Medal Worth More Than Weight in Gold". Washingtonpost.com. 1998-02-17. Archived from the original on 2016-02-06. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  6. ^ "Ice Hockey at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics: Women's Ice Hockey". Olympedia. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  7. ^ "1998 Women's Olympic Team". United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 29, 2023.