Kristin O’Neill scored twice and had an assist for Canada in a 5-0 win over the Czech Republic at the women’s world hockey championship Sunday in Utica. N.Y.
Danielle Serdachny, Renata Fast and Laura Stacey also scored for Canada (3-0), which concludes Group A play Monday evening against defending champion United States.
Sarah Nurse had two assists. Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens posted a 13-save shutout in her second win of the tournament.
Her counterpart Klara Peslarova stopped 37 of 42 shots for the Czech Republic (1-2).
WATCH | O’Neill pots 2 goals for Canada:
Kristin O’Neill scored twice in Canada’s 5-0 shutout victory over the Czech Republic, at the women’s world championship in Utica, N.Y.
Stacey waited for Peslarova to commit low and shot high for Canada’s fifth goal at 5:43 of the third period.
Canada led 4-0 when Fast threaded a shot from the point through traffic far side on Peslarova at 4:31 of the period.
The Canadians led 2-0 by the midway point of the period, however and 3-0 heading into the second.
O’Neill’s second goal, which was validated after review, was a high tip of an airborne puck at 17:30.
On a delayed Czech penalty with an extra Canadian attacker, O’Neill’s shot trickled through Peslarova’s pads at the nine-minute mark.
Serdachny collected a loose puck in front of Peslarova and backhanded the puck between the goalie’s pads at 2:07.
Canada plays a second game in as many days Monday and for the second time in the championship.
The tournament’s top five seeds in Group A and the top three in Group B advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals. The semifinals are Saturday and the medal games Sunday.
The Czechs have won 11 of 17 world championship games and a pair of bronze medals since former Canadian defender Carla MacLeod became head coach. MacLeod was an Olympic gold medallist with the Canadian women in 2006 and 2010.
Canada and the Czech Republic met for the first time at the world championship last year in Brampton, Ont., where the hosts downed the Czechs 5-1 in a preliminary-round game.
Sweden stays perfect
Josefin Bouveng had two goals and an assist as Sweden remained perfect at the world women’s hockey championship with a 6-2 win over Japan on Sunday in Utica, N.Y.
The win assured Sweden of finishing in the top two in Group B and moving to the playoffs. Sweden led the group with nine points from three overtime wins. Germany, which was off Sunday, was second with six points from two wins.
Sweden and Germany were scheduled to play Monday.
Sara Hjalmarsson had a goal and an assist for Sweden, while Ebba Hedqvist, Hilda Svensson and Thea Johansson also scored. Emma Soderberg made 16 saves.
Second-period goals from Hara Toko and Makoto Ito briefly tied the game before Sweden reeled off four straight goals.
Riko Kawaguchi made 37 saves for winless Japan, which was eliminated from playoff contention with just one point coming from a shootout loss to China, which faced off against Denmark later Sunday.
The bottom two teams in Group B will be relegated to the Division I tournament next year. China had two points from two games heading into its game against Denmark, which had no points in two games.
Meanwhile, Canada looked to remain undefeated when it faced the Czech Republic in Group A action.