U.S. defeats Canada in overtime to claim women’s hockey gold at Milano Cortina 2026
MILAN — The United States captured the women’s hockey gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Day 13, defeating Canada 2–1 in overtime in the latest chapter of the rivalry between the two programs.
Megan Keller scored the golden goal in overtime after Hilary Knight tied the game late in regulation, erasing a Canadian lead that had stood for much of the contest.
Kristen O’Neill opened the scoring for Canada in the first period. The Canadians carried the 1–0 advantage into the third and remained in front until the final minutes, when Knight redirected a shot past the Canadian goaltender to force extra time.
The result marked another close finish between the long-time rivals on the Olympic stage. It also extended Canada’s current losing streak against the United States to eight games.
The final contrasted sharply with the teams’ preliminary-round meeting, in which the Americans earned a 5–0 victory.
Despite the loss, Canada delivered its most competitive performance of the tournament in the gold-medal game, limiting scoring chances and holding the lead deep into regulation before overtime determined the outcome.
The silver medal adds to Canada’s Olympic history in women’s hockey, a program that has consistently reached the podium since the sport’s introduction at the Winter Games in 1998.
