U.S. Women Conduct Hockey Clinic with Outclassed Russia

The only mom on the U.S. women’s hockey team is teaching her youngsters to be respectful and generous to opponents who don’t have as much talent.

Jenny Potter is also putting on a dynamic goal-scoring exhibition that will have all the kids wanting to be like her someday.

Potter scored three goals to set an Olympic record with her second straight hat trick, and the United States routed Russia 13-0 Tuesday in another preliminary-round laugher.

Potter is sizzling in her fourth Olympics, with a tournament-leading nine points in two games. She even got both of her hat tricks within the first 32 minutes of one-sided wins over Russia and China before leading the Americans’ gradual slowdowns later in the game.

“It’s not about running up the score,” said Potter, the oldest player on a team featuring 15 Olympic rookies. “It’s about treating your opponent with respect and still working on what we need to be successful against Finland (on Thursday).”

Less than six minutes into the Americans’ five-goal first period, Potter scored a picturesque short-handed goal, nimbly slipping the puck between defenseman Alena Khomich’s legs and breaking in alone on goalie Anna Prugova while Khomich tumbled to the ice. The goal said everything that anybody at UBC Thunderbird Arena needed to know about the gulf in experience and resources between North America and the world.

“All we were trying to do was keep everyone involved and playing,” said four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero, who scored her second goal of the games. “We still had things we could work on while still respecting our opponent.”

Captain Natalie Darwitz tied another Potter record with five points against the hapless young Russians. Twin sisters Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux also were among 10 goal-scorers for the Americans, who followed up their 12-1 opening win over China with another exhibition of their skill and depth over two dominant periods before cooling it down in the third.

American coach Mark Johnson is no stranger to the U.S.-Russia rivalry after scoring two goals in the Miracle on Ice game at Lake Placid six days shy of 30 years ago, but the only miracle in Vancouver was that the score wasn’t even worse.

“We don’t want to embarrass ourselves,” Johnson said. “I said it before, but it’s a situation where I’m very uncomfortable. Our message between periods was to be respectful, to remember they’re also fulfilling a dream to be at the Olympics.”

Jessie Vetter made seven saves for the Americans, who led 12-0 after two periods before taking just two shots in the third. Still, those who criticize the parity in women’s hockey got a bit more fuel: After Canada outscored its first two opponents 28-1, the Americans have a 25-1 differential.

The Russians took a long list of minor penalties while simply trying to keep up with the faster, stronger Americans, and the U.S. capitalized with an Olympic-record seven power play goals — many within the first few seconds of the man-advantage.

“Because the Americans are so fast, we had to do something,” forward Ekaterina Smolentseva said. “We had to body-check, and that got us penalties. That wasn’t part of the plan.”

Starting late in the second period, the U.S. team cycled the puck, made extra passes on the power play and even made substitutions while in the offensive zone — but seemingly each time they flung a puck at the net, Russia’s goalies couldn’t handle it.

So the Americans took it a step further in the third period, taking just one shot in the first 16 minutes. The mostly Canadian crowd began to cheer whenever the Russians managed puck possession or anything resembling a rush, but they couldn’t connect.

After a 5-0 first period, the Americans could start thinking ahead to Thursday’s meeting with Finland, the only preliminary-round game carrying a serious challenge. Their only remaining worry was injury — and Julie Chu promptly blocked a shot with her thigh, although the three-time Olympian eventually skated it off and kept playing.

The Russians didn’t help themselves by playing their two backup netminders against the mighty Americans instead of top goalie Irina Gashennikova.

Darwitz’s power-play slap shot put the Americans up 9-0 before the midway point of the second period. After Darwitz’s short-handed goal 3:10 later, Prugova was replaced by Mariya Onolbaeva — and Potter completed her hat trick 46 seconds later.

Even when the Russians made plays, they went horribly wrong: Lisa Chesson’s slap shot for the Americans’ 13th goal was tipped in by Khomich, who somehow batted the puck out of the air and past Onolbaeva.

“All we wanted out of the third period was to be the best passing team, and we did that,” said defenseman Caitlin Cahow, who scored in the first period.

The Americans played without forward Erika Lawler, who bruised her ankle in a tumble into the boards Sunday against China. Johnson expects Lawler to play Thursday.

2/16/2010 9:40 PM GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer VANCOUVER, British Columbia