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Bitter hockey rivals U.S.-Canada face off in Spokane
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(See broadcast update below.)
On Friday, the U.S. women's hockey team faces bitter rival Canada in Spokane, Wash. as both teams prepare for what's expected to be an epic battle for Olympic gold in the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
It's the third game of the U.S. team's 10-game Qwest Tour, but the first of three tour dates against Canada. The rivalry is as intense as always. They'll play a total of eight times in the pre-Olympic season (currently, the U.S. leads 2-1), with Canada last defeating the Americans, 3-1, in front of 6,000 mostly Canadian fans Oct. 5 in Victoria, B.C. But the U.S. defeated Canada for the Hockey Canada Cup title on Olympic ice in September.
It's likely the most intriguing of all run-ups to the Olympics, with all sorts of subplots. Namely:
Will Canada thrive or be eaten alive by the pressure to win in their hockey-frenzied home country?
With the past two world titles won, the U.S. appears to have gotten over its shocking bronze-medal exit in the 2006 Games in Torino. Can the U.S. team play true to its favored status when Olympic gold is on the line this time?
When will icon Hayley Wickenheiser start showing the wear-and-tear from more than half a lifetime spent as the face of Canadian women's hockey?
The U.S. returns just six Olympians from the 2006 Games. How quickly will the Olympic rookies, mostly NCAA players, adjust to international play?
Will Jessie Vetter, newly crowned women's team athlete of the year by the Women's Sports Foundation, continue to confound Canada shooters?
USA Hockey has revamped its residency program for players who have nowhere to play between Olympics. Will it pay off in Vancouver?
USA Hockey just announced the game, set for 7:05 p.m. Pacific Time, will be broadcast live by the NHL Network. Former U.S. star Cammi Granato will help call the action. (Announcement has yet to hit USA Hockey or NHL Network websites, but it will. Trust us.)
So watch. Enjoy. Stay tuned.
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