The US Women's hockey team won Olympic gold over Canada in a dramatic overtime finish after trailing nearly the entire game.
It was an exhilarating victory for the United States women’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, securing a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada to win the women’s hockey gold medal. It avenges the team’s loss to Canada in the final game four years ago. The US women looked hot out the gate with a 5-0 victory in their first game of the Olympics. But they had to work a lot harder to secure the final win after being down 0-1 in the contest.
After trailing from the second period until 2:04 remaining in the third period, Hilary Knight gave Team USA a lifeline with a game-tying goal that took them to overtime. In doing so, Knight became the all-time leader in both Olympic points and goals in Team USA history in regulation. In the 36-year-olds final Olympic game, she became the most decorated player in history for Team USA, securing her second gold in five Winter Games. Not only that, but Knight’s 15 goals and 33 points are the most for both men and women in Team USA history.
Knight gave them the boost they needed to hit overtime, where veteran defender Megan Keller scored the golden goal to beat their rivals in the 3-on-3 overtime with astonishing individual effort on the score. It was a tough contest to start for the women, who went scoreless for the first period in their run. They also had only allowed one goal all tournament, with Canada’s Kristen O'Neill matching that despite being down a man in a US power play early in the second period.
Here is the full story from Women's Hockey Roundtable writer Ian Kennedy on the thrilling overtime finish for Team USA.
The two goals conceded are tied with the 2006 and 2010 Canada squads for the fewest goals allowed in the tournament by a women’s team. Goalie Aerin Frankel was electric with 30 saves in the finale, with the offense and team overall looking like the moment was too big for them in a way they hadn’t performed all throughout the Winter Games. They had outscored teams 31-1 in the tournament and scored at least five goals per game.
The yips finally subsided when Knight’s goal shocked some focus and life back into them, with the veteran leader making as much of an impact on the field as off the field. In the first game that Team USA trailed the entire tournament, those effects were felt until those two minutes remaining in regulation. They entered overtime with a difference sense of poise and command that pulled off the victory.