Womens Hockey Usa completes dramatic comeback, wins Olympic gold in overtime
womens hockey usa overturned a late deficit to force overtime and then beat Canada 2-1 in the Olympic women's hockey final, with Hilary Knight tying the game in the third period and Megan Keller scoring the overtime winner in Milan.
Knight forces extra time with late equalizer
With the Americans having pulled their goalie and trailing by a goal, Hilary Knight tipped a shot from Edwards past Canadian goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens with 2: 04 left on the clock to tie the gold-medal match. The equalizer sent the crowd at the Milan rink into a roar and kept the U. S. alive in a game that had looked like it would end in Canada’s favor.
Desbiens said the puck came through quickly: "Everything happens so fast. On the shots you never quite know where it goes and it squeaked in. I’ll see that one for a long time. " Knight’s long Olympic career had her tied with two others at 14 career Olympic goals; the tying tally broke that tie late in regulation.
Womens Hockey Usa finishes it in overtime
Just over four minutes into overtime, Taylor Heise sprung Megan Keller with a length-of-the-ice pass after catching Canada in an ill-timed line change. Keller juked defender Claire Thompson, created space in front of the net and lashed a backhand through Desbiens’ legs for the gold-medal winner, sealing a 2-1 victory for the United States.
Keller’s finish capped a tense stretch in which the U. S. had been pushed to the limit by its long-time rival. Knight, who is 36, provided the veteran leadership the Americans needed; after the game she said simply, "There was no way we were losing this game. That’s all. Simple as that. "
What the win means and how the game unfolded
The victory gave the U. S. the gold medal in the Milan Cortina Olympics after a match defined by low scoring and tight defensive play. The Americans had dominated earlier rounds of the tournament, outscoring their first six opponents by a wide margin and carrying a long shutout streak into the final, but Canada produced the lone regulation goal in the championship before Knight’s late heroics evened the score.
Forward Kendall Coyne Schofield highlighted the team’s cohesion in the aftermath: "I think it's ultimately how enjoyable it is to be in that locker room and how everyone is willing to do whatever it takes for this team, no matter what the role is. " The 2-1 result ended in overtime when Keller found the decisive lane and finished it.
The match took place at the Milan venue for the Milan Cortina 2026 Games on Feb. 19, 2026. The U. S. win marked a comeback over their arch-rivals and added to the rivalry’s long history of gold-medal clashes between the two North American powers.
Officials and players described the finish as the culmination of two tight defensive teams trading chances until the very end. For Knight, the goal carried additional historical weight in her Olympic résumé and came in what is expected to be the final Olympic game of her illustrious career.
The U. S. celebrates the gold; the Olympic tournament continues its scheduled ceremonies and medal presentations following the hockey final.
