US Olympic women’s hockey team wins gold, capping undefeated run

The U.S. women’s hockey team captured Olympic gold in its final game of the Milan Cortina Winter Games, defeating rival Canada 2-1 in overtime to cap an undefeated run through the tournament.

With Canada in the lead and only two minutes remaining in regulation, Team USA Captain Hilary Knight redirected a shot from teammate Laila Edwards past the Canadian goalie to tie the game and force overtime. The goal was Knight’s 15th in Olympic play — a U.S. record — and her 33rd career Olympic point.

With the gold medal on the line, Megan Keller scored four minutes into sudden-death overtime, slipping past a defender and beating Canadian goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens with a backhand to seal the victory.

The gold capped a dominant 7-0 tournament for the Americans, who outscored opponents 33-2. They entered the final 6-0, having outscored teams 31-1 in preliminary and knockout play and recording five consecutive shutouts — an Olympic women’s hockey record stretch of more than 331 minutes without allowing a goal.

The only goal the Americans allowed before the final came in their 5-1 opening win over Czechia.

The U.S. also blanked Canada 5-0 in preliminary-round play, handing its rival the first shutout loss in its Olympic history. Canada had won five of the previous seven Olympic gold medals, including the 2022 Beijing Games. 

Forward Britta Curl-Salemme of Bismarck, North Dakota, had six points in seven games in her Olympic debut, scoring in the quarterfinal against Italy and adding an assist in the semifinal win over Sweden. Curl-Salemme has spoken publicly about her Catholic faith and previously partnered with the women’s sports ministry FIERCE, sharing her participation in Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” program and Mass attendance with her husband. 

>> Olympian Britta Curl-Salemme shares her Catholic faith on social media << 

The gold in women’s hockey marked the U.S.’s ninth in the Milan Cortina Games.

Other highlights for the Americans included Alysa Liu’s win in women’s singles figure skating — the first Olympic title for an American woman in 24 years — and Mikaela Shiffrin’s becoming the first U.S. skier with three Olympic Alpine gold medals. Jordan Stolz added a gold in the 500-meter speedskating event. The U.S. also won gold in the figure skating team event, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding.

Through Feb. 19, the U.S. stood third in the overall medal standings behind Norway in first place with 27 total medals.