US Beats Canada in Overtime for Hockey Gold
United States' Megan Keller (5) scores past Canada's Ann-Renee Desbiens (35) during a women's ice hockey gold medal game between the United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Megan Keller scored a backhanded goal 4:07 into overtime, giving the United States its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey with a 2-1 victory over defending champions Canada at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday night, adding another thrilling chapter to one of sports’ fiercest rivalries.
American captain Hilary Knight, competing in her fifth and final Olympics, forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ blue-line shot with just 2:04 left, according to the AP. The goal marked Knight’s 15th of her Olympic career and 33rd point, setting new U.S. records in both categories.
In the 3-on-3 overtime period, Keller maneuvered past Claire Thompson down the left wing and drove to the net, firing a backhand that beat Canadian goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens over her left pad. U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel finished with 30 saves. Earlier, Kristen O’Neill scored a short-handed goal for Canada, with Desbiens stopping 31 shots in total.
This marked the seventh of 12 Olympic matchups between the two nations decided by a single goal and the third to require extra time. In the 2014 Sochi Games, Canada rallied from a late 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 on Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime goal. Four years later, the U.S. defeated Canada 3-2 in a shootout after Jocelyne Lamoureux’s decisive score in 2018.
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