Clark scores 2 as Canada beats Switzerland to open worlds

ESPOO, Finland (AP) — Emily Clark scored two goals as Canada defeated Switzerland 6-0 in the Group A opener of the women’s world hockey championship Thursday.

Loren Gabel, Natalie Spooner, Jamie Lee Rattray and Blayre Turnbull also scored for Canada, and Shannon Szabados made six saves for her 20th career shutout.

Canada, which last won the event in 2012, was playing without forward and captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who has a knee injury.

It took a 2-0 lead after the first period when Gabel and Spooner scored 16 seconds apart, and then put the result out of reach in the third when Clark scored twice in a span of just over six minutes.

Switzerland goaltender Andrea Brandli made 41 saves.

Earlier, Germany defeated Sweden 2-1 in Group B in the first game of the competition, with Laura Kluge scoring the only goal of a shootout.

Sofia Engstrom gave Sweden the lead 9:53 into the second period before Germany tied it when Emily Nix scored just over four minutes later.

The United States will face Finland later Thursday, with France and Japan also set to meet.