Jason La Rose
GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (JAN. 5)
Coming off a tournament-opening victory, Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team is right back on the ice Sunday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, taking on Switzerland in Group B action.
Last Game
Canada opened its preliminary-round schedule with a 6-2 win over Slovakia on Saturday. Despite outshooting the Slovaks 60-7, the game was even at 2-2 heading to the third period before B.C.-born blue-liners Danica Maynard and Chloe Primerano scored 2:11 apart to kick-start the Canadian offence. Maxine Cimoroni finished with a goal and an assist, while Sara Manness and Caileigh Tiller chipped in with two assists apiece.
The Swiss lost a nail-biter in their opener, falling 2-1 in overtime to Czechia on Saturday. Sonja Inkamp gave Switzerland the lead seven minutes into the third period, only for the Czechs to pull even with 2:08 left and win it in overtime. Amaya Iseli was terrific between the pipes, finishing with 36 saves.
Last Meeting
It was a quarterfinal clash a year ago in Zug, with Canada posting a 6-0 victory over the tournament hosts. Sienna D’Alessandro scored a pair of goals, Gracie Graham added a goal and two assists and Primerano continued her romp through the record books with three helpers. Rhyah Stewart was only required to turn away three shots as the Canadians finished with a one-sided 54-3 edge in shots on goal.
What to Watch
Cimoroni was a member of Canada’s bronze medal-winning roster a year ago, recording three points in six games to help the Canadians find the podium. The Toronto product almost matched those numbers in the first period Saturday, helping set up Hayley McDonald for Canada’s first goal of the tournament before scoring herself late in the opening frame. Cimoroni is having a season to remember; after leading Canada with five points (2-3—5) in the three-game summer series against the U.S., the Ohio State commit took home Most Valuable Player honours from the U18 National Women’s Championship in November while helping Ontario Red to another gold medal. She also ranks fifth in OWHA U22 Elite scoring, posting 32 points (17-15—32) in 20 games with the Mississauga Hurricanes.
It was tough to miss Inkamp on Saturday, if only because she never seemed to leave the ice. The Swiss defender played 29:10 in the overtime loss to the Czechs, almost two minutes than any other player. Back for her third U18 Women’s Worlds, Inkamp has spent parts of the last two seasons in the Women’s League, the top league in Switzerland, seeing time with HC Ambri-Piotta last season before getting into six games with the ZSC Lions this year. Inkamp is also somewhat of a rarity on the Swiss roster – a 2007-born player. Switzerland ices one of the youngest rosters in the tournament, with just nine players born in 2007. That’s the second-fewest behind only Japan, which has only two.
A Look Back
This is just the fifth meeting between the Canadians and Swiss, and the fourth to come in the prelims. Canada is perfect through the first four, outscoring Switzerland 44-3.
The first matchup came at the 2009 tournament in Germany; Casandra Langan made history in that one, becoming the first Canadian to score four goals in a game as part of a 16-1 win. Jamie Lee Rattray added a hat trick of her own, while Jessica Wong chipped in with two goals and an assist.
All-time record: Canada leads 4-0 Canada goals: 44 Switzerland goals: 3