Megan Keller’s OT goal lifts U.S. past Canada, megan keller stirs celebration

megan keller scored 4: 07 into overtime to deliver a 2-1 victory for the U. S. women’s hockey team over Canada in the Olympic gold-medal game at Santagiulia Arena, a result that immediately became a rallying point for the U. S. men’s side ahead of a key semifinal. The win matters now because members of the Hughes family and other U. S. men watched in the same venue and will play a semifinal at 3: 10 p. m. ET on Friday.

Megan Keller’s overtime winner

The gold-medal game ended 2-1 when Megan Keller converted early in the overtime period, 4: 07 in. The shot completed the U. S. women’s tournament run with a final held at Santagiulia Arena and secured the Olympic title in front of players and staff who shared facilities with the men in the Olympic Village.

Inspiration for Hughes and men

Ellen Weinberg-Hughes served as a consultant for the U. S. women’s team, and her presence was singled out by her sons, Jack and Quinn Hughes, who watched the game from the stands. Quinn said he was “happy for her, happy for the whole team, everyone on the coaching staff, ” and Jack said the men’s squad had been “pulling for them pretty hard. ” The proximity of the teams in the Olympic Village and shared time at the rink made the women’s victory an immediate emotional lift for players preparing for the men’s semifinal.

megan keller goal in detail

Keller’s overtime strike broke the 1-1 deadlock and clinched the gold medal for the U. S. women. The timing and setting amplified its resonance: teammates, coaches and nearby men’s players experienced the finish in real time. Michigan native Dylan Larkin described the moment as “pretty good” and singled out Keller as a standout, calling her story “a great story” and saying he was “very proud for her. ”

On the men’s side, Quinn Hughes provided a complementary late-game heroics earlier in the tournament, scoring the overtime winner in the U. S. quarterfinal against Sweden. Quinn has six points (one goal, five assists) in four games and is tied for the U. S. scoring lead with Auston Matthews, who has three goals and three assists. Jack Hughes has four points (one goal, three assists) in four games; coaches adjusted his deployment to increase his ice time and impact.

• Gold-medal finish: Keller scored 4: 07 into overtime to make it 2-1.
• Hughes connection: Ellen Weinberg-Hughes was a consultant; Jack and Quinn watched the final live.
• Men’s next step: U. S. men face Slovakia in a semifinal at 3: 10 p. m. ET on Friday.

Coach Mike Sullivan noted that coaches had caught bits of the women’s game while preparing for the men’s semifinal and praised the U. S. women as a “terrific hockey team. ” He said their dominance in the tournament and the standard they set will inspire future players and is something the men’s staff aspires to emulate. That praise framed the victory not only as a single-game triumph but as a broader indicator of the program’s depth at the Olympic Games.

Looking ahead, the U. S. men’s semifinal against Slovakia is scheduled for 3: 10 p. m. ET on Friday in the same rink. The men enter that match carrying momentum from recent overtime results and with line adjustments intended to boost ice time for key contributors. If the emotional lift from the women’s gold translates into on-ice energy, the U. S. men will attempt to use that momentum in the semifinal. The outcome will hinge on execution in that scheduled game and whether the team sustains the level of play that produced recent overtime wins.