Haley Irwin is going for the gold.
The Thunder Bay forward scored a pair of goals, her fourth and fifth of the Olympics, leading Canada to a 5-0 win over Finland in one of two women’s hockey semifinals played on Monday.
As expected, Canada will take on the United States in the gold-medal final, scheduled for Thursday.
Irwin gave Canada a 2-0 lead at the 14:36 mark of the opening period, following up on Cherie Piper’s goal some nine minutes earlier.
After Meghan Agosta scored her Olympic-leading ninth goal late in the second to put Canada up 3-0, Irwin scored again early in the third on Finnish goalie Noora Raty. Caroline Ouellette scored the Canucks final goal, a shorthanded marker, with 1:03 to play.
Shannon Szabados made 12 saves to earn the shutout.
Canada beat the Sweden in 2006 in Turin to claim gold. They also won in Salt Lake City in 2002 against the U.S.
The United States won the inaugural gold medal in Nagano, Japan, in 1998.
