Canada's Meghan Agosta-Marciano, right, celebrates her goal against Finland with teammates, from left to right, Hayley Wickenheiser (22), Natalie Spooner (24), Marie-Philip Poulin (29) and Caroline Ouellette (13), during the third of their women's ice hockey game at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, February 10, 2014.GRIGORY DUKOR/Reuters
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Four days off didn't seem like a long break to the Canadian women's hockey team or their head coach.
Canada doesn't play again at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics until Monday's semi-final. The defending champions capped the preliminary round with a 3-2 win Wednesday over arch-rival United States and went unbeaten in three games.
Canada's reward was a day off from the rink and each other Thursday to go experience the Games, watch Canadians compete in other sports, shop, eat and rest before getting back to work.
"I've told them I don't want to see them or speak to them," coach Kevin Dineen said. "All of a sudden, you get together a day later, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
"I think a day away, let them go enjoy the Olympic experience and come back full of juice on Friday."
Canada faced the same four-day gap between its final round-robin game and semi-final four years ago in Vancouver.
After outscoring their opposition 41-2, then-coach Melody Davidson was worried about keeping her players sharp for the medal round. So the Canadian women played an extra game during that break against the Vancouver Northwest Giants boys' team, two days before a 5-0 victory over Finland in the semi-final.
But because of the change in the tournament format, Canada had a more strenuous round-robin in Sochi than in Vancouver.
Canada's Group A included the United States, Finland and Switzerland. The four are the top-ranked countries in the world in women's hockey.
So no extra games required in Sochi, according to Canadian captain Caroline Ouellette.
"The way the divisions are made here, those were tougher games that we played so we're going to need that rest and we're going to be ready for the semi-final without secret games," Ouellette said.
The Americans will play in Monday's semi-final after going 2-1 in the round-robin. The reigning world champions were also given the day off Thursday by coach Katey Stone.
Neither Stone nor Dineen seemed worried their players would relax too much with daytime temperatures in the mid-teens C, palm trees lining the streets and the Black Sea visible from their windows in the athletes village.
"There's no concern about going into vacation mode from our end of it," Stone said.
Judging from their tweets, the Canadian women made the most of the day off. Edmonton defenceman Meaghan Mikkelson was headed to watch speed skating.
Forward Meghan Agosta-Marciano of Ruthven, Ont., posted a photo of her getting a leg massage. Assistant captain Hayley Wickenheiser of Shaunavon, Sask., also posted a photo after a meal with her son and parents at a sea-side restaurant.
Group B teams Finland, Switzerland, Russia and Sweden will play in Saturday's quarter-finals. The final and bronze-medal games are Feb. 20.
Wickenheiser, Canada's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, says it was important for her and her teammates to use their day off wisely.
"It's a balance of energy," she said. "You really have to stay in your routine and do what you would do at home. Get out and enjoy it, but then get off your legs and make sure you're mentally sharp more than anything.
"Everybody gets to go and enjoy the Olympic Games because that's part of this too, but then we have three days to really bear down for a tough semi-final game."