Milan (Rajeev Sharma) – In a breathtaking conclusion to Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the United States women’s ice hockey team reclaimed their throne, defeating arch-rivals Canada 2-1 in a sudden-death overtime thriller. The victory on Thursday, February 19, marked the Americans’ third Olympic gold in history and their first since 2018, avenging a bitter loss to the Canadians in Beijing four years ago.
The hero of the night was defenseman Megan Keller, who netted a highlight-reel “golden goal” just 4:07 into the 3-on-3 overtime period.
The Winning Play
The sequence began deep in the American zone when Taylor Heise collected the puck behind her own goal line. Despite being late in a grueling shift, Heise spotted Keller streaking up the center of the ice and fired a pinpoint, 100-foot outlet pass.
Keller took the puck in stride, bypassed Canadian defender Claire Thompson with a sophisticated backhand-to-forehand deke, and slipped the puck past goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. “Meg was flying up the ice,” Heise said after the game. “I just chucked it up to her and she did the rest.”
Dramatic Regulation Comeback
The gold medal match was a defensive masterclass for much of the evening. Canada took a 1-0 lead in the second period through Kristin O’Neill, ending Team USA’s incredible streak of five consecutive tournament shutouts.
With the clock ticking down and the U.S. goaltender pulled for an extra attacker, captain Hilary Knight tied the game with just 2:04 remaining in regulation. Deflecting a shot from Laila Edwards, Knight’s goal was her 15th in Olympic play, setting a new record for the most goals and points (33) by a U.S. hockey player—male or female—in Olympic history.
A Historic Day for American Women
The hockey triumph capped off a monumental day for Team USA in Milan:
- Alysa Liu’s Drought-Breaker: 20-year-old Alysa Liu won the gold medal in women’s individual figure skating, ending a 24-year drought for American women in the event. Liu jumped from third place to first with a stunning free skate score of 150.20 (226.79 total).
- Curling Success: The U.S. women’s curling team, led by Tabitha Peterson, defeated Switzerland in an extra end to advance to the Olympic semifinals for the first time since 2002.
- Trailblazing Edwards: Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal with USA Hockey.
While Team USA celebrated, Switzerland took home the women’s hockey bronze medal earlier in the day with a 2-1 overtime victory against Sweden, thanks to a game-winner from Alina Müller.
