UMD women's hockey: Bell, Larocque, Rooney will battle for Olympic gold as USA, Canada advance

BEIJING — Two former Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs will be going for a second Olympic gold medal while a current captain will be seeking her first when the United States and Canada meet in the final of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament at 10:10 p.m. (CT) Wednesday.

United States goaltender Maddie Rooney and Canadian defensemen Jocelyne Larocque and Ashton Bell clinched Olympic medals Monday with semifinal victories. The U.S. beat Finland 4-1 and Canada raced by Switzerland 10-3.

JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS

Larocque, who helped UMD win its last national championship in 2010, is already a two-time Olympic medalist, having won gold in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, and silver in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with Canada. Rooney, who has served as the backup to former Wisconsin Badger Alex Cavallini in the quarterfinals and semifinals, backstopped the U.S. to gold as the starter in Pyeongchang.

Bell, a fifth-year senior who captained UMD to the Frozen Four last season, is looking to make her first Olympic medal a gold medal after posting a goal and four assists in five games at the 2022 Winter Games thus far.

Both Bell and Larocque were kept off the scoresheet Monday in Canada’s dominating Olympic semifinal win over Switzerland. Former Bulldog Lara Stalder, the Swiss captain, was not. She had two goals and an assist and tried to bring her team back from an early 5-0 deficit by scoring on the power play late in the first and setting up a goal early in the second to bring Switzerland within three, but two Canadian goals in 11 seconds in the second period squashed that comeback attempt.

Annegret Hilse / Reuters

Stalder has five goals and four assists in Beijing. She is seeking her second Olympic medal with Switzerland when they take on Finland at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday in the bronze-medal game. Stalder was a freshman at UMD when she won bronze with Switzerland in 2014 in Sochi. The Swiss finished fifth in 2018.

Former UMD goalie Eveliina Makinen, Finland’s third-string goaltender who has yet to play in three Olympics, is also seeking her second bronze medal after winning her first in 2018.

All times Central

TUESDAY

Men’s Quarterfinals

United States (Noah Cates) vs. Germany-Slovakia winner, 10:10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Women’s Bronze Medal Game

Switzerland (Lara Stalder) vs. Finland (Eveliina Makinen), 5:30 a.m.

Women’s Gold Medal Game

Canada (Ashton Bell, Jocelyne Larocque) vs. United States (Maddie Rooney), 10:10 p.m.