Womens Hockey Usa: Knight’s Historic Tally Sends U.S. to OT, Keller’s Backhand Wins Olympic Gold in Milan

In a dramatic gold-medal final in Milan, womens hockey usa staged a late comeback and prevailed in overtime, a finish defined by Hilary Knight’s game-tying third-period goal and Megan Keller’s overtime winner. The result not only delivered Olympic gold but also rewrote several U. S. Olympic scoring records.

Womens Hockey Usa: Knight’s game-tying goal redefines Team USA scoring history

Captain Hilary Knight produced the pivotal moment late in regulation when she tipped a shot from the blue line to knot the score with 2: 04 remaining. That goal came with an empty net for the U. S., ending Canada’s shutout and sending the final into sudden death overtime. The tying marker elevated Knight to the top of Team USA women’s Olympic goal scorers, giving her 15 career Olympic goals and making her the greatest women’s hockey scorer in Olympic history for the United States.

Beyond goals, Knight also set a new Team USA benchmark for Olympic points, reaching 33 career points and surpassing the prior record for career Olympic points in U. S. women’s hockey. The tying goal and the point record added to Knight’s growing list of milestones: the victory in Milan marked her second Olympic gold and her fifth Olympic medal overall, making her only the third Olympic hockey player, male or female, to reach five career Olympic medals.

Megan Keller’s overtime finish and the play that decided gold

Overtime brought the decisive sequence. Megan Keller maneuvered around a Canadian defender and sent a backhand toward goal that got past the goaltender’s right arm and trickled into the net for the gold-medal victory. Keller’s finish completed the comeback initiated by Knight’s late equalizer and handed the U. S. the top podium spot in a match played at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

The late regulation equalizer also had a tactical significance: it snapped Canada’s shutout and changed the momentum heading into overtime, where the U. S. converted a decisive chance to secure victory.

Career context and immediate legacy for the U. S. roster

Knight’s Milan performance compounds an already distinguished international résumé. Her medal haul now includes multiple golds from Olympic and World Championship competition, and she has accumulated double-digit totals across major-tournament goal and assist categories. Her club-season form is reflected in recent league statistics: she tied for the league lead in points in the 2024-25 campaign while playing for Boston, and in the current season she was among league leaders in assists while playing in a franchise’s first-ever season.

The pairing of Knight’s veteran leadership and Keller’s clutch scoring in overtime provides an immediate narrative about depth and timely finishing for Team USA’s roster. Knight’s record-breaking outputs—both goals and points—underscore an individual legacy that the Olympic gold in Milan further cements.

Details in this account are drawn from the game’s play-by-play and roster statistics from the Milan final. These developments alter the record books for womens hockey usa and shift how career milestones will be viewed for the core figures from this team.

Recent updates indicate these milestones and the dramatic nature of the win will be central to post-tournament analysis and the long-term framing of the players’ international careers; further developments and broader context may evolve as teams and players respond in the aftermath.