On Thursday, Feb. 19, the USA and Canada faced off in the women’s Olympic ice hockey tournament to play for the gold medal game.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
Canada faced two power-play opportunities in the first period but couldn’t capitalize. Towards the end of the period, Canada took a penalty of their own, giving the USA a chance to capitalize on their first power-play chance to kick off the second period. Instead, Canada scored a shorthanded goal to take the lead.
The score was still in favour of Canada until the USA tied it late in the third, forcing the game to go into overtime. Four minutes into the three-on-three, Megan Keller scored to earn a 2-1 win for the USA, which earned Canada the silver medal.
O’Neill Broke the Ice for Canada
After 20 minutes, the score remained unchanged. The USA was on a power-play chance heading into the second period after Ella Shelton was called for hooking. Despite the USA having the extra-player advantage, Canada gained control of the puck. Laura Stacey took a shot, and Kristin O’Neill got the rebound, earning her team the lead.
This goal was the first Canada scored against the USA in the tournament, as their game in the preliminary match resulted in a 5-0 shutout for the USA.
This was O’Neill’s first time representing Canada at the Olympic level. In the seven games in the tournament, she recorded five points via three goals and two assists. Even though she spent the majority of it centring the fourth line, she had a successful offensive performance.
Canada Sustained More Injuries
Late in the third period, Britta Curl sent Erin Ambrose into the boards. She needed assistance getting off the ice, and Curl received a two-minute minor for boarding. She spent a total of 15:11 on the ice amongst 29 shifts.
After Canada lost Marie-Philip Poulin earlier in the tournament, they couldn’t afford to lose another player, even if it was the final game. Poulin was absent for the first game Canada faced off against the USA in the preliminary round, after she was injured in Canada’s game against Czechia.
This was Amrobse’s second Olympic tournament, and she recorded two assists. During the regular season, she plays for the Montreal Victoire in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Let’s hope she is not seriously injured and can return to the ice with her PWHL team soon.
Canada Still Had a Great Performance
Canada is leaving this tournament with a silver medal, and that is something they should be proud of. Of the seven games Canada played, they won five of the seven. The only two losses they faced were at the hands of the USA, once in the preliminary round and then, of course, this game.
Both Desbiens and Emerance Maschmeyer each recorded a shutout, both in the preliminary round. Desbiens was the goaltender in this game and stopped 31 of the 33 shots the USA took.
Throughout the seven games, Canada scored 22 goals. They made a strong push throughout the entire tournament, but unfortunately fell short to the USA.
All Canadian Players Head Back to the PWHL
The entire Canadian team consisted of players from the PWHL. The season will start back up next week, Feb. 26, when the Montreal Victoire take on the New York Sirens.
