Russia tops Switzerland 2-1 at women's hockey worlds

ESPOO, Finland (AP) — Russia defeated Switzerland 2-1 at the women's world hockey championship Friday, with Olga Sosina scoring on a power play with 36.8 seconds remaining.

In the day's other preliminary-round game, the Czech Republic beat France 3-1.

Sosina's winner in the Group A game came with Switzerland's Livia Altmann in the penalty box for hooking. Russia outshot the Swiss 43-11, with Nadezhda Morozova making 41 saves.

Switzerland, which lost 6-0 to Canada in its opener a day earlier, took a 1-0 lead when Evelina Raselli scored after 13:41. Anna Timofeyeva tied the score with a short-handed goal with 9.1 seconds left in the period.

Earlier, the Czech Republic won its first game in Group B, defeating a French team that opened with a loss to Japan on Thursday.

Katerina Mrazova and Klara Hymlarova scored on power plays and Aneta Ledlova also had a goal for the Czechs. Emmanuelle Passard scored a third-period power-play goal for France,