U.S. thumps Switzerland in opener

[OMEN]

Tricia Dunn-Luoma (right) slips the puck past Patricia Elsmore-Sautter during the second period.
TURIN, Italy (AP) -- The U.S. women's hockey team opened the Olympics with a comfortable 6-0 win Saturday over Switzerland -- and a timely reminder that one good goalie can reduce the Americans' huge talent advantages in a hurry.

Tricia Dunn-Luoma scored a 5-on-3 shorthanded goal, captain Krissy Wendell added two third-period goals and the Americans eventually overcame Patricia Elsmore-Sautter's superb 50-save performance.

Rising 18-year-old star Sarah Parsons scored a goal and Chanda Gunn made just nine saves in their Olympic debuts. The Americans were frustrated in the first two periods of the preliminary round, only getting goals from their two oldest players despite dominating every other aspect of play.

Katie King, one of four Americans playing in their third Olympics, scored early in the first period. Dunn-Luoma added her unlikely breakaway goal midway through the second, but only Wendell's first score on a pass from Angela Ruggiero finally allowed the Americans to relax.

U.S. coach Ben Smith repeatedly warned his team about Elsmore-Sautter. The international veteran played at Minnesota-Duluth alongside U.S. veteran Jenny Potter, who also scored with 1:10 to play.

And the Swiss goalie's tenacity might benefit the Americans, who repeatedly played against Canada and Finland during their pre-Olympic tour, but haven't seen much of the other Olympic teams.

The Americans will face Germany on Sunday before finishing the preliminary round against talented Finland on Tuesday.

The Americans outshot Switzerland 20-3 in the first period, but only scored when King converted Potter's pass from behind the net during 4-on-4 play just 2:38 in. Elsmore-Sautter defiantly turned away everything else, even doing the splits to make a stunning pad save on captain Krissy Wendell late in the first period.

Ruggiero went 1-on-4 to keep the puck in the Swiss zone at one point while the rest of the U.S. power-play unit changed. The Swiss simply couldn't keep up, but Elsmore-Sautter froze the puck at every opportunity and made countless big saves.

Switzerland had a two-skater advantage for more than two minutes midway through the second period when the Americans committed three straight penalties. But Dunn-Luoma pounced on a bad pass and improbably got three strides behind the defense for a breakaway, finally beating Elsmore-Sautter.

Laura Bush, wife of U.S. President George W. Bush, and their daughter, Barbara, arrived at the Esposizioni rink during the second period, sitting near center ice surrounded by bodyguards and dignitaries.

They left during the second intermission, but returned for the final 13 minutes -- just in time for two more goals. Parsons scored on her own rebound, and Potter added a power-play goal with 1:10 to play.

AP

[LionDen]

US vs Germany should be a good match.