The Women’s Lions open the World Cup in Denmark tonight with a match against Canada.
The female lions play and celebrate with all their heart. Tiina Puputti / Finnish Ice Hockey Association
- After the Olympic winner and the reigning world champion, immediately after, on Saturday, Finland will face the USA.
- The World Championship final and bronze medal match will be played on Sunday, September 4.
– We have had five training games against slightly different opponents, and now we get to face the North Americans right at the start. I see that as a good thing, head coach Juuso Toivola says Iltalehte.
– We get into the game right away, and it’s good to continue.
Canada and the USA are the overwhelming powerhouses of women’s hockey, but Finland plans to change the situation.
– The team has achieved many bronze medals. Our goal is to keep the Finnish flag in that trio and move the places of the flags for the Finnish flag. That’s what we’re going to aim for in these games and from then on.
A surprising change
The Women’s Lions’ Olympic tournament in Beijing last February took a big turn right from the start, when the head coach Pasi Mustonen returned to Finland for personal reasons.
The duties of the head coach were transferred to the assistant coach Toivola, who led the team to bronze medals.
It was already known that Toivola is the continuation of Mustonen’s work. Toivola had been chosen as Mustonen’s successor from the 2022–23 season, and the season of the Lady Lions will start immediately at the World Championships under his command.
– Yes, it’s definitely useful now, he says about the head coach job that suddenly came up in the winter.
– The responsibility that you got into and got to at that time is certainly useful, as well as the experience in front of the team and in front of the media. All situations are different, but let’s take that advantage and refine it further.
The World Cup tournament is Juuso Toivola’s, 51, first as head coach of the Women’s Lions. Tiina Puputti / Finnish Ice Hockey Association
Toivola does not want to compare himself as a coach to Musto, who has been the head coach of the Women’s Lions since 2014.
– Everyone is their own person and works in their own way, Toivola states.
– I have a long experience with this team and a good knowledge of people towards the players. Personnel management is emphasized with my previous assignments, and my trump card is certainly also the experience of the international game and its requirements.
What will change in the team’s activities and game or will we follow Mustonen’s lines?
– In recent years, we have done good things and good results, Toivola reminds.
She has already won six prestigious competition medals in the Naisleijonien coaching group, of which the silver at the spring 2019 domestic competition is the brightest. If not for the very questionable interpretation of the video referee, it would be even brighter.
Last season, there were two medals, when Finland defeated Switzerland in the bronze medal match of both the World Championships – which were also played at the turn of August and September – and the Olympics.
– It’s not worth fixing the intact, but of course each coach and each coaching team dictates the game in their own way. We concretize certain things, we file certain things and, with the evolution of our team, we take things forward. We continue the good line and do it in our own way, with our own lyrics and with our own expression.
Toivola describes Finland as playing energetic possession hockey and striving for quick turns towards the opponent’s goal. Keskiö has a tight five-man game both offensively and defensively.
– From the looks of it, the team is really fiery, sparkling and loud, Toivola colorfully characterizes On the ice hockey association’s video.
Volume rarely comes up when a coach describes his team’s strengths, but Toivola has a clear point.
– When the team talks on the field, it brings a good feeling both in the changing room and on the field.
Familiar lineup
Finland’s composition has not experienced major changes. There are 19 players who won Olympic and World Cup bronze last season.
Performances are expected especially from the best Finnish women in points at the Olympics From Susanna Tapani, From Petra Niemis and From Michelle Karvis. Nelli Laitinen and Jenni Hiirikoski are the key players in the defense, and will continue as the number one goalkeeper Anni Keisala.
In their last two training matches, Finland crushed Japan 7–1 and Denmark 8–0. A young striker Viivi Vainikka captured a total of 8 (6+2) power points.
Finland–Canada today at 20:00. TV5 and discovery+ broadcast the match live.