U.S. Women Rout Hockey Rival Sweden

Monique Lamoureux scored three goals, Jessie Vetter made 11 saves, and the United States women's hockey team rolled into the Olympic gold medal match with a 9-1 semifinal victory over Sweden on Monday.

Caitlin Cahow, Karen Thatcher and Kelli Stack each had a goal and an assist as the U.S. avenged its 2006 loss to Sweden in Turin.

"Obviously, what happened in 2006 was disappointing to everybody with USA Hockey," U.S. coach Mark Johnson said. "We've talked about when you get the opportunity, to be ready. Today was a big hurdle to get across."

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The rematch was a comprehensive thrashing of the Swedes and goalie Kim Martin, who came nowhere close to her 37-save performance in Turin.

"It was the same team, same semifinal game, but the similarities end there," U.S. four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero said. "Everyone knows. No one was saying, 'Remember, remember."'

After outscoring their first four opponents by a combined 40-2, the U.S. team will face the winner of Finland's semifinal meeting with tournament powerhouse Canada. The win by the United States can set up the long-anticipated meeting of the sport's North American leaders.

"Now, it's really exciting," Vetter said. "We made it to the point we really wanted to. I think we're ready for the gold-medal game."

Vetter soundly outplayed Martin, who let in a few stoppable goals and made at least one accidental save off her mask. The Americans' superior offense took care of the rest, jumping to a 4-0 lead early in the second period on consecutive goals by Ruggiero and Cahow. Three goals on their first six shots of the third period finished the scoring.

Sweden's win in the Turin Games handed the U.S. the first loss by a North American team in a major women's hockey tournament. Martin was the star, but she missed much of last collegiate season with a knee injury, only recently returning to competition.

Except for the symmetry of another semifinal meeting, there was little reason to expect a repeat: The U.S. team hadn't lost to Sweden in five international meetings since Turin, outscoring the Swedes 30-2 before beating them three more times in exhibitions leading up to Vancouver.

"To beat them, you need the lucky bounces and excellent goaltending," Sweden coach Peter Elander said. "Today we didn't get any lucky bounces, and we let in some soft goals."

After playing the preliminary round at UBC Thunderbird Arena, both teams waited through a long weekend for the semifinals at the bigger hockey Canada Hockey Place venue. The Americans hadn't played since Thursday, while Sweden had four straight days without a game in a schedule criticized by coaches and some players.

HOST COUNTRY ADMITS MEDAL DEFEAT

Seeing how their neighbors down south have owned the podium so far, Canadian officials are giving up on their goal of winning the medal count at the Vancouver Olympics.

The concession speech by the leader of Canada's Olympic committee - "I'm not going to live in a fool's paradise and think we're going to win" - is pretty realistic. Canadian athletes had only nine medals as of Monday afternoon, one less than the Americans' bronze medals.

The United States has 24 medals, most of all countries. Canada was in a three-way tie for fourth.

This white flag is another blow for Canadians still reeling from their hockey team's loss to the United States on Sunday. It also stings because of the $117 million and five years invested into an "Own The Podium" program aimed at earning the most medals at these Winter Olympics.

"I think we did the right thing," COC head Chris Rudge said. "Would I modify (expectations) based on the knowledge that we have now? Sure I would."

CURLING

Skip John Shuster's team got an early lead over Canada, but wound up losing 7-2 in a shortened match. The Americans fell to 2-6 going into their finale Monday night against China.

Shuster won bronze four years ago, helping bring more attention to this sport. It was the first U.S. curling medal at the Olympics and the first in a major men's competition since 1978. They couldn't build on it, though, losing three straight matches in extra ends (which are like innings in baseball).

"We've played good and just haven't quite gotten there," Shuster said.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Both team sprints - a freestyle event with two skiers taking turns going three laps - were decided in dashes to the finish.

Norway's Petter Northug did it in the men's event, pulling away from Germany's Axel Teichmann. Norway's Ola Vigen Hattestad -the reigning world champion in the individual and team sprints, and winner of the last two World Cup sprint titles - pulled out because of a sore throat.

Americans Torin Koos and Andy Newell were ninth.

Germany won the women's team sprint when Claudia Nystad beat Sweden's Anna Haag across the line by 0.6 seconds. Americans Caitlin Compton and Kikkan Randall were sixth.

Russia took bronze in both events.

SKI JUMPING

On his final jump in the team event, 20-year-old Gregor Schlierenzauer soared farther than anyone else in these Winter Games to wrap up the gold for Austria. This was his third medal; he won bronze in both individual events.

Switzerland's Simon Ammann, who won both individual events, didn't compete in the team event because his country didn't have the four jumpers needed for a team.

BOBSLED

More changes are coming to the Whistler Sliding Center, this time to shave the ice in several tricky curves in hopes of making the track easier for bobsledders to navigate.

"It's still going to be the toughest track in the world. No doubt," U.S. coach Brian Shimer told The Associated Press.

Changes came after a two sleds crashed during supplemental training, which many nations chose to skip, opting for rest instead.

The women's event is Tuesday and Wednesday, with the men's four-man event Friday and Saturday.

BIATHLON

Magdalena Neuner of Germany won't go for a third gold medal, pulling out of the relay on Tuesday because of exhaustion.

Neuner said she is "happy and satisfied" with having won gold in the pursuit and mass start races, and silver in the sprint, but that her Olympics have been "incredibly stressful."

BUS DRIVER DIES

Police say a 71-year-old bus driver working at the Olympics died on duty while driving other drivers to their depot. He's believed to have had a heart attack.

Another driver grabbed the wheel and safely stopped the bus, said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.