Keller’s OT Goal Lifts U.S. to Women’s Gold Medal Over Canada

MILAN — Megan Keller scored 4:07 into overtime to give the United States a 2-1 victory over Canada and the gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday.

Keller’s game-winner, her third goal of the tournament, came on a backhand deke after she received a nearly 100-foot outlet pass from Taylor Heise. U.S. captain Hilary Knight had forced overtime by scoring the equalizer with 2:04 remaining in regulation while goalie Aerin Frankel was pulled for an extra attacker. With the goal, Knight became the all-time Olympic leader in both goals (15) and points (33) for U.S. women's hockey.

Canada had held a 1-0 lead for much of the game after Kristin O’Neill scored a short-handed goal 54 seconds into the second period. The tally ended a U.S. shutout streak that lasted 352:17, a run that began following the conclusion of the team's second round-robin game against Finland.

Frankel finished with 30 saves for the United States, which outshot Canada 33-31 in the contest. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 31 saves for Canada in the loss, while American defender Caroline Harvey was named the tournament MVP after tying for the scoring lead with nine points.

With the win, the Americans finished the competition with an undefeated 7-0 record and outscored their opponents 33-2. The victory secured the third Olympic gold medal in U.S. women’s hockey history and their first since 2018.