US Beats Canada in Overtime for Hockey Gold

Megan Keller backhanded in a shot 4:07 into overtime and the US won its third Olympic gold medal in women's hockey, beating defending champions Canada 2-1 at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday night to close another thrilling chapter of one of sports' most heated rivalries. American captain Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards' shot from the blue line with 2:04 remaining, the AP reports. The goal was the 15th of her Olympic career and 33rd point to break the US record in both categories.

With the sides playing 3-on-3, Keller broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, the US assistant captain got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens over her left pad. Aerin Frankel stopped 30 shots for the US. Kristen O'Neill scored a short-handed goal for Canada and Desbiens finished with 31 saves.

This was the seventh of 12 Olympic meetings between the rivals to be decided by one goal and the third to go past regulation. Canada overcame a late 2-1 deficit to beat the US 3-2 on Marie-Philip Poulin's overtime goal at the 2014 Sochi Games. The US won 3-2 in 2018 when Jocelyne Lamoureux scored in a shootout.