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Swiss win not enough

Beat France 6-0, face France in Relegation

Published 11.01.2016 16:03 GMT-5 | Author Andrew Podnieks
Swiss win not enough
ST. CATHARINES, CANADA - JANUARY 11: France's Chloe Aurard #12 plays the puck while Switzerland's Shannon Sigrist #9 and Janine Hauser #26 defend during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/HHOF-IIHF Images)
Switzerland added to France’s misery here in St. Catharines with a big victory this afternoon, leaving France winless and destined for the Relegation Round.

The Swiss were led by their best player, Alina Muller, who had three goals and an assist today. 

Vanessa Bolinger stopped only seven shots to earn the shutout while her teammates poured 49 shots on the France goal.

The best-of-three series between these same teams starts tomorrow at noon before the quarter-finals at the Meridian Centre.

Even though the win gives the Swiss six points, tying them with Sweden and Finland, it is the Swiss who end up in third place in Group B and having to join France in the fight to avoid relegation.

To decide the placings, a mini-group of the three countries is created, and although each team has a win and a loss against its opponents, Sweden has the best goals differential at +2 (6-4), Finland second (3-3), and the Swiss third (3-5).

The Swiss opened the scoring midway through the first period on a power-play goal from Shannon Sigrist and never looked back.

Muller now leads the entire tournament with five goals, and her six points ties her with Petra Nieminen and Jenniina Nylund (both FIN) for the overall points lead.