Team USA wins gold over Canada in women

Team USA defeated Canada in a stunning 2-1 comeback in overtime in the Milan Cortina Winter Games 2026 to take home her third Olympic gold medal in women’s ice hockey.

After trailing 1-0 at the start of the third period, the US tied things up late in the period and then Megan Keller He scored the winning goal in extra time to avenge his loss in the last game four years ago. This was the seventh gold medal game, and the fifth in a row, between the two hockey powers. It was also the third matchup between the United States and Canada to go to overtime.

Team USA captain Hilary Knight extended their last match at the Olympics by sending it to overtime tied at 1.

Knight deflected Laila Edwards’ shot past Ann-Renee Desbiens with 2:04 left in regulation and the U.S. skating 6-on-5 with goalie Aerin Frankel looking for an extra attacker. The goal was his 15th in the Olympics, the most in team history.

Canada had led since Kristin O’Neill scored shorthanded less than a minute into the second period, ending the United States’ shutout streak of 352 minutes and 17 seconds. Desbiens and Frankel were saved in a back-and-forth game that was much more competitive than the first meeting between the rivals in the preliminary round, when the United States defeated Canada 5-0.

The Americans triumphed in the tournament, outscoring their opponents 31-1.

The United States and Canada have met in all but one Olympic final (the 2006 Turin Games, won by Canada) since women’s hockey made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games. The loss gives Canada its third silver medal in the event.

Knight, 36, has already announced that these will be his fifth and last Games, a record in the United States, with the possibility of adding a second gold medal in addition to his three silvers. The match was played one day after Knight proposed to American figure skater Brittany Bowe.

The Canadians, the defending Olympic champions, had shown signs of age during a tournament in which they lost 5-0 to the Americans in the preliminary round and reached the final with a 2-1 victory over Switzerland.

The loss to the Americans was the most lopsided and also the first time Canadian women were excluded from the Olympic game.

Canada had captain Marie-Philip Poulin back in the lineup after missing two games, including the loss to the United States, with a right knee injury.

Switzerland beat Sweden in overtime in the bronze medal match with another key goal from Alina Müller.