TURIN, Italy — The myth is that the rest of the women's hockey world is catching up to the U.S. and Canada, that the Finns and Swedes are no longer just cannon fodder for the sport's two major powers and can actually compete with them.
The reality is that although the Finns and Swedes might have taken a half-stride forward here, the U.S. has regressed. That point was reinforced during its playoff semifinal loss Friday to a smart, well-coached Swedish team that drew inspiration from that most iconic of impossible dreams -- the 1980 U.S. men's hockey miracle on ice at Lake Placid, N.Y.
Meanwhile, Canada, which will play Sweden for the gold medal Monday, is better than ever, having bowled over this supposedly improved field by a 42-1 margin in its first four games.
Any more progress like that, and women's hockey will play itself off the Olympic program.
There has been no significant advance, only spin.
Several daunting problems remain before women's hockey can claim to have made great strides. Perhaps most important is that no nations besides the U.S. and Canada devote much money or resources to their women's hockey programs.
And that cultural biases and old stereotypes work against giving aspiring female players the same support male players routinely receive.
And that outside of the U.S. and Canada, there are few places where women can hone their skills in the four years between Olympic tournaments.
"We don't have high school teams or college teams, like in the States," said Swedish forward Erika Holst, who played at the University of Minnesota Duluth for four years and became a gym teacher when she returned to Sweden. "We have a club system and things are getting better, but it's not like the U.S. colleges."
About 10 players in the women's tournament attended Minnesota Duluth, and standout Swedish goaltender Kim Martin is headed there. Six players on Team Canada honed their skills at U.S. colleges.
However, playing college hockey has yet to become an option for most young female hockey players outside North America. Until it does, the game's growth will stagnate.
The U.S. team apparently was unable to mine the talent coursing through the college ranks. Its defense was shaky from the day Coach Ben Smith picked the team, and its inability to create and finish offensive opportunities was striking.
