Spooner leads Canada past Sweden 8-0 in women’s world hockey championship warmup

PEMBROKE, Ont. – Natalie Spooner struck twice as Canada shut out Sweden 8-0 on Saturday in a warm-up game for the women’s world hockey championship.

Goaltender Shannon Szabados earned the shutout victory for the Canadians, while Jayna Hefford, Haley Irwin, Hayley Wickenheiser, Marie-Philip Poulin, Jennifer Wakefield and Catherine Ward rounded out the scoring.

“I think our line just going at the start, and we were able to put the first one in, and the second one it was nice to get a shorty,” said Spooner. “I’ve been trying to do good things on the PK, so to be able to get that going too, and get a shorty too, was a nice feeling.”

The world championship starts on April 2 in Ottawa, returning to the nation’s capital 23 years after the inaugural tournament was held there.

Spooner opened the scoring for Canada midway through the first on an assist from Ward. Hefford and Irwin made it 3-0 by the time the period was done.

Wickenheiser scored the only goal of the second, with Ward again assisting, to make it 4-0 going into the second intermission.

Spooner had her second of the night while Canada was shorthanded in the third and Poulin, Wakefield and Ward also scored to round out the game.

“These games are good for us, just to build chemistry with our lines, and get some confidence going into the tournament,” said Spooner. “We’re all super excited for the real games to start, obviously, because those are the ones you really want to play in.”