Womens Hockey Usa: Knight’s Last-Second Heroics and Keller’s Overtime Strike Secure Olympic Gold
In a heart-stopping finish at the Milan Cortina Olympics, the womens hockey usa squad rallied from behind late in regulation and then won the gold-medal game in overtime, 2-1, over archrival Canada. The comeback hinged on a veteran equalizer and an overtime winner that together produced one of the most dramatic conclusions in recent Olympic women’s hockey play.
Womens Hockey Usa: Two plays that changed the final
The closing sequence began with the Americans having pulled their goalie and pressing in desperation. With 2: 04 remaining in the third period, captain Hilary Knight redirected a Laila Edwards shot from the point past Canadian goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens to even the score and revive the U. S. bench and fans at the Santa Giulia Arena.
In overtime, the decisive moment arrived just over four minutes in. Taylor Heise intercepted the Canadian lineup in an ill-timed change and delivered a length-of-the-ice pass to Megan Keller. Keller created space in front of the net, juked a defender and fired a backhand that slipped through Desbiens for the gold-medal winner, sealing a 2-1 victory.
How the tournament build-up set the stage for the final
The path to that final showcased defensive dominance and scoring depth. The U. S. had outscored its first six opponents by a combined 31-1 and had not surrendered a goal for 16 consecutive periods before the championship match. Across the tournament, the United States gave up only two goals, a mark that tied previous Olympic bests for fewest goals allowed by a women's team in a single Games.
Goaltender Aerin Frankel was a major factor in that dominance. She made 30 saves in the final and finished the tournament with a. 980 save percentage, becoming the first goalie in Olympic history to record three shutouts in a single tournament.
That defensive foundation made the late-game heroics possible. Even when opportunities were missed in regulation, the team’s structure and persistence kept them in position for a late equalizer and the overtime chance that followed.
What the victory means for key players and the roster
Hilary Knight’s third-period tip marked more than a game-tying goal: it moved her into sole possession of the U. S. Olympic career record for goals and points, with the totals cited in coverage of the match showing 15 goals and 33 points for her Olympic career. The 36-year-old captain delivered that milestone in what was expected to be her final Olympic game, closing a storied Olympic run with a signature moment.
Megan Keller’s overtime finish underlined the depth and composure of the roster. Teammates emphasized the combination of veteran leadership and breakout performances that characterized the tournament, and the final play itself highlighted the importance of situational awareness and quick transitional play.
Off the ice, the tournament included a personal milestone for Knight: two days before the gold-medal match she proposed to her partner, an event noted as part of the narrative surrounding her final Olympic appearance.
The come-from-behind victory over Canada not only ended the tournament on dramatic fashion but also reinforced the U. S. women’s hockey program’s recent run of form. With a tight defensive record, standout goaltending and clutch contributions from veteran leaders, the womens hockey usa team produced a finish that will be remembered for both its immediacy and its broader significance to the roster’s legacy.
Details and individual statistics from the match and tournament reflect a performance that combined resilience with execution under pressure; the win was driven by a purposeful late push, a textbook overtime setup and two high-impact plays that changed the course of Olympic gold medal hockey in Milan.
