Comeback complete! Team USA storms back to beat Canada in OT and win Gold
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The biggest question facing Team USA women's hockey on Thursday was whether they were battle tested enough.
Facing their bitter rivals in Thursday's Gold medal game, Megan Keller answered the question.
The Americans solidified their spot at the top of the hockey world, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win Gold on Keller's overtime goal.
With a game-winning goal in overtime, Team USA completed a ferocious comeback that started with just over two minutes left in the third period trailing 1-0.
Team USA won its first Gold medal since the 2018 Games.
The backstory:
It wasn’t going to be déjà vu for the Americans on Thursday. Both in recent sense and historically.
Canada has won five of the seven all-time gold medals in women's hockey at the Olympics. Canada beat the United States 3-2 in the Gold Medal game in Beijing at the 2022 Games.
But, in the present-day Games, Team USA was a heavy favorite going into Thursday’s Gold Medal game.
Team USA beat Canada 5-0 in Milan during round-robin play. The Americans have scored at least five goals in every game, and have outscored opponents 31-1. In late 2025, USA and Canada played a four-game competition as part of the 2025 Rivalry Series. Team USA won all four of those games.
Canada brings an older squad to the 2026 Games, headlined by captain Marie-Philip Poulin. Team USA brings a mix of youth and experience, and that’s paid off.
That all led to Thursday, which was going to be a different game altogether.
When the Americans blanked Canada in the round-robin play, Canada was without Poulin. She gutted through her knee injury in the games after as Canada willed its way to the semifinals against Switzerland. Poulin still led Canada through that game, scoring both goals to win 2-1.
That set the stage for Thursday.
How It Happened:
After the first period, neither team scored but Canada led 8-6 in shots on goal.
Canada broke through in the second period. Kristin O’Niell scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway to give Canada a 1-0 lead, marking the first time in the Olympics that the Americans trailed in Milan.
USA turned on the pressure after that, recording 10 more shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the second period. The Americans had three open looks at the net, but couldn’t score the equalizer.
Canadian goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens took care of business against a Team USA squad that’s been an offensive juggernaut.
After a sloppy first period, Team USA’s skillset shined in the second period. The passing led to more aggressive offensive chances. But, the Americans still had their backs against the wall entering the final period.
The third was a stalemate. With 6:23 left, a boarding penalty put USA on the penalty kill, which stopped the Americans from pushing any aggressive play. Poulin missed a point-blank shot that would have all but iced the Gold medal for Canada.
That's when Captain America struck.
Hilary Knight, with her 15th Olympic goal, netted the equalizer with just 2:04 remaining to send the Gold Medal game into overtime.
In the extra period, Team USA claimed gold to cement a rise in power in women's hockey.
With the overtime rules sending the game to a three-on-three game, Keller aggressively skated to the net while the Americans were changing lines. Her point-blank shot found its way through the five hole, beating Desbiens.
That won gold for USA. Pandemonium ensued.
Knight was asked if this was her last Olympic game.
"We'll see," she said.