Sweden defeats Germany to open women's hockey worlds
CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Sweden defeated Germany 5-2 to open the women's hockey world championship on Wednesday.
Hanna Thuvik scored the first goal of the tournament 10:34 into the opening period for Sweden. Mira Hallin doubled the lead midway through the second in a Group B game.
Luisa Welcke reduced the German deficit to 2-1 in the second period before Anna Kjellbin and Thea Johansson both scored in the third for Sweden.
Emily Nix netted in the third for Germany on a power play with Hanna Olsson finshing off the five-goal Swedish tally by scoring into an empty net.
Later Wednesday, the United States faces Finland in a Group A match between last year's runnerup and the bronze medalist. The host Czech Republic — bronze medalists twice in the last three tournaments — plays Switzerland also in Group A.
The U.S. and defending champion Canada are the tournament favorites, continuing a long-standing cross-border rivalry. Canada has won 13 world titles followed by the U.S. with 10 spanning the previous 23 championships.
Finland is the only other team apart from Canada and the U.S. to reach the final, doing so in 2019.
Canada opens its title defense against Finland on Thursday.
The 12-day, 10-nation tournament in the southern Czech city of Ceske Budejovice represents the final major international tune-up before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
The teams are divided into two groups for a preliminary round. All five teams from Group A and the top three from Group B qualify for the playoffs.
The bottom two from Group B, which also features Japan, Norway and Hungary, are relegated.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
22 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Top prospect Roman Anthony goes hitless with RBI groundout in MLB debut for the Red Sox
Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Roman Anthony was in Worcester, waiting for the 275-mile bus ride that would take him to Allentown, Pennsylvania, for his next Triple-A game, when WooSox manager Chad Tracy told the team their departure would be delayed because someone might need to head an hour east to Boston instead. 'I didn't really think anything of it, to be honest,' Anthony told reporters in the Red Sox dugout at Fenway Park before making his major league debut in Boston's 10-8, 11-inning loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night. 'I was just kind of waiting around in the food room with a few of the guys, and then all of a sudden he came out and just said, 'Hey, you're going to the big leagues,'' Anthony said. 'From there on out it's kind of been a little bit of a blur. But it was amazing. You dream of that every single day. So, to finally hear it was definitely awesome.' Anthony, who played right field and batted fifth, received the biggest cheer of all during pregame introductions and then a standing ovation from the crowd of 31,422 when he came to bat in the second inning, with a runner on first and nobody out. He popped up to left field and got another cheer as he returned to the dugout. In the third, he may have been robbed of his first major league hit when he lined a ball up the middle that hit pitcher Shane Baz — at 111 mph. It deflected to the third baseman, who made the throw to first for the out. Anthony also struck out looking with runners on first and second in the third and walked in the seventh. In the ninth, with the crowd again on its feet, he came up with runners on second and third and hit a hard bouncer up the middle for an RBI groundout. He was due to lead off the 11th, but manager Alex Cora pinch-hit for him against left-hander Ian Seymour. 'It was nice to finally take the field, forget about all the outside noise and just be able to take the field with the guys," he told reporters afterward. "Unfortunate we couldn't get a win, but it was a good experience — good to just get the first one over with.' Anthony fielded two balls easily in right field — a pair of singles in the fourth inning — but in the fifth he let a rolling ball go under his glove for a two-base error that led to an unearned run, giving Tampa a 3-0 lead. 'It just can't happen,' he said. 'It's tough when you lose a game like that, you feel like that's the reason we lost — little things like that. Just got to learn from it and be better.' A 21-year-old second-round draft pick who went viral over the weekend when he hit a 497-foot grand slam in Worcester, Anthony was the top-rated prospect in the minors before his call-up. He batted .288 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 58 games in Triple-A this season. His accomplishments in the minors had Red Sox fans clamoring for his call-up, especially with the team languishing in fourth place in the AL East, 8 1/2 games behind the rival New York Yankees. But while fellow prospects Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer got the call, the Red Sox remained patient on Anthony until an injury to Wilyer Abreu left them needing another outfielder. 'It's been a long time coming,' said Mayer, who was called up about two weeks ago. 'It's been talked about for a very long time, and it's kind of crazy that today's the day that we're all going to share the field together in the big leagues. I'm super excited. I think we have a really good team, and he's just another great addition to that.' Cora said he noticed something was wrong with Abreu after Sunday's game against the Yankees. When the team realized it would be more than a day or two, they decided to make the move and put Abreu on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. The Red Sox made room for Anthony on the 40-man roster by designating first baseman/outfielder Ryan Noda for assignment. 'We're trying to win ballgames,' Cora said. 'The kid has done an amazing job getting ready for this moment. We're excited. It's a big day for the organization.' Anthony was perhaps known only to the most dedicated fans before his homer on Saturday that was the longest measured this year by Statcast, which tracks the major leagues, Triple-A and the Class A Florida State League. Since Statcast started tracking in the majors in 2015, only five home runs have gone farther, including Nomar Mazara's 505-foot shot in 2019 for the Rangers. After getting the promotion, Anthony had time to call his parents and siblings and an old baseball coach and gather most of his equipment — his own glove, a single bat and a borrowed pair of cleats — before driving down the MassPike to Boston. He arrived in Boston a few hours before game time and by 7:30 p.m. he was taking aim at the historic red seat that marks Ted Williams' 502-foot homer that is the longest ever at Fenway Park. 'It happened quick. I think no matter when that call comes, nobody's really expecting it," he said before the game. 'Obviously a little bit of a short notice. But, you know, better than being on the bus to Lehigh Valley right now.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Fraley and Miley propel Reds past Guardians in Francona's return
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jake Fraley, had three hits, including a home run in the fourth inning, Wade Miley got his first win since 2023 and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-4 Monday night in Terry Francona's return to Progressive Field. TJ Friedl also went deep for the Reds, who have won four straight and are over .500 for the first time since May 19. Bo Naylor had a solo shot for Cleveland. The Guardians have dropped four of five overall and have lost all four of their meetings with the Reds this season. Francona managed Cleveland for 11 seasons (2013-23) before being hired by the Reds last October. Miley (1-0) got the win in his second game and first start since signing a one-year deal with the Reds on June 4. He went five innings and allowed three runs and five hits. PIRATES 10, MARLINS 3 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds hit a bases-loaded triple to cap a four-run third inning and Pittsburgh beat the skidding Miami for their season-high fourth straight win. Reynolds put the Pirates ahead 4-1 with a line drive to the gap in right-center field off Eury Perez (0-1), who was making his first major league start since Sept. 20, 2023, after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Reynolds' hit came after Andrew McCutchen had an RBI infield single. All nine Pirates had hits, and McCutchen and Adam Frazier paced a 15-hit attack with three apiece. Brett Sullivan had two RBIs in his Pirates debut after being called up Saturday from Triple-A Indianapolis. Perez lasted just three innings and gave up four runs and four hits. He had five strikeouts and two walks while throwing 70 pitches as the Marlins lost for the eighth time in their last nine games. Despite missing so much time, Perez is still the youngest pitcher in the major leagues at 22 years, 55 days. The Pirates broke the game open with a four-run sixth that included two throwing errors by the Marlins on Ke'Bryan Hayes' bunt single. That put Pittsburgh ahead 8-2. The Marlins' Otto Lopez hit a leadoff home run in the second inning, his sixth, to open the scoring. Miami lost for the eighth time in nine games. Pirates rookie starter Mike Burrows allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. Caleb Ferguson (2-0) pitched two perfect innings. BRAVES 7, BREWERS 1 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chris Sale struck out a season-high 11 while allowing just one run over seven innings as Atlanta snapped a seven-game skid by beating Milwaukee. Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Eli White homered to make sure the Braves avoided their first eight-game losing streak since 2016. Sale (4-4) allowed just five hits and two walks. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has given up just four runs over 33 innings in his last five starts. Atlanta led 5-1 when Sale left after walking Brice Turang to start the eighth. Raisel Iglesias took over for Sale and got three straight outs to lower his ERA to 6.48 before Dylan Lee worked the ninth. PHILLIES 4, CUBS 3, 11 INNINGS PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brandon Marsh singled home the winning run in the 11th inning after Philadelphia used two bunt hits to load the bases and beat the Chicago Cubs. Ian Happ tied it at 2 for the Cubs on a solo homer off reliever Matt Strahm in the eighth. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an RBI double in the 11th off Carlos Hernández (1-0) for a 3-2 lead. J.T. Realmuto made it 3-all when he drove in the automatic runner with a single off Daniel Palencia (0-2). The Phillies then improbably got two straight bunt singles — the first from rookie third baseman and undrafted Division II prospect Otto Kemp, who had the third of his first three big league hits in the game. Bryson Stott — a late-inning replacement after he was benched amid a 2-for-24 slump — also bunted for a hit to set up the clutch swing from Marsh.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Top prospect Roman Anthony made his MLB debut for the Red Sox. He was hitless with an RBI groundout
Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Roman Anthony was in Worcester, waiting for the 275-mile bus ride that would take him to Allentown, Pennsylvania, for his next Triple-A game, when WooSox manager Chad Tracy told the team their departure would be delayed because someone might need to head an hour east to Boston instead. 'I didn't really think anything of it, to be honest,' Anthony told reporters in the Red Sox dugout at Fenway Park before making his major league debut for Boston against Tampa Bay on Monday night. 'I was just kind of waiting around in the food room with a few of the guys, and then all of a sudden he came out and just said, 'Hey, you're going to the big leagues,'' Anthony said. 'From there on out it's kind of been a little bit of a blur. But it was amazing. You dream of that every single day. So, to finally hear it was definitely awesome.' Anthony, who played right field and batted fifth, received the biggest cheer of all during pregame introductions and then a standing ovation from the crowd of 31,422 when he came to bat in the second inning, with a runner on first and nobody out. He popped up to left field and got another cheer as he returned to the dugout. In the third, he may have been robbed of his first major league hit when he lined a ball up the middle that hit pitcher Shane Baz — at 111 mph. It deflected to the third baseman, who made the throw to first for the out. Anthony also struck out looking with runners on first and second in the third and walked in the seventh. In the ninth, he came up with runners on second and third and hit a hard bouncer up the middle for an RBI groundout. Anthony fielded two balls easily in right field — a pair of singles in the fourth inning — but in the fifth he let a rolling ball go under his glove for a two-base error that led to an unearned run, giving Tampa a 3-0 lead. A 21-year-old second-round draft pick who went viral over the weekend when he hit a 497-foot grand slam in Worcester, Anthony was the top-rated prospect in the minors before his call-up. He batted .288 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 58 games in Triple-A this season. His accomplishments in the minors had Red Sox fans clamoring for his call-up, especially with the team languishing in fourth place in the AL East, 8 1/2 games behind the rival New York Yankees. But while fellow prospects Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer got the call, the Red Sox remained patient on Anthony until an injury to Wilyer Abreu left them needing another outfielder. 'It's been a long time coming,' said Mayer, who was called up about two weeks ago. 'It's been talked about for a very long time, and it's kind of crazy that today's the day that we're all going to share the field together in the big leagues. I'm super excited. I think we have a really good team, and he's just another great addition to that.' Cora said he noticed something was wrong with Abreu after Sunday's game against the Yankees. When the team realized it would be more than a day or two, they decided to make the move and put Abreu on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. The Red Sox made room for Anthony on the 40-man roster by designating first baseman/outfielder Ryan Noda for assignment. 'We're trying to win ballgames,' Cora said. 'The kid has done an amazing job getting ready for this moment. We're excited. It's a big day for the organization.' Anthony was perhaps known only to the most dedicated fans before his homer on Saturday that was the longest measured this year by Statcast, which tracks the major leagues, Triple-A and the Class A Florida State League. Since Statcast started tracking in the majors in 2015, only five home runs have gone farther, including Nomar Mazara's 505-foot shot in 2019 for the Rangers. After getting the promotion, Anthony had time to call his parents and siblings and an old baseball coach and gather most of his equipment — his own glove, a single bat and a borrowed pair of cleats — before driving down the MassPike to Boston. He arrived in Boston a few hours before game time and by 7:30 p.m. he was taking aim at the historic red seat that marks Ted Williams' 502-foot homer that is the longest ever at Fenway Park. 'It happened quick. I think no matter when that call comes, nobody's really expecting it," he said before the game. 'Obviously a little bit of a short notice. But, you know, better than being on the bus to Lehigh Valley right now.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
