Hilary Knight and Megan Keller Lead U.S. Women's Hockey Gold Rally

Hilary Knight was a central figure in the U. S. women's hockey team's late rally that culminated in a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, a run capped by Megan Keller's overtime goal that lifted the U. S. past Canada. The victory has immediate resonance: a youth hockey coach, Andy Mandel, and his team appeared on a national morning broadcast to react and say they are drawing inspiration from Team USA's performance.

Megan Keller's overtime winner

Megan Keller's overtime goal completed the championship-clinching sequence that sent the U. S. past Canada and secured Olympic gold. The play has been framed as the definitive moment of the final and is central to how coaches and young players are processing the result.

Hilary Knight's leadership highlighted

Coverage of the final emphasized a rally led by Hilary Knight together with Megan Keller. Observers pointed to their roles in turning the game in the United States' favor, making the pairing a focal point for how the team overcame its opponent in the decisive match.

Youth team looks to Team USA

Coach Andy Mandel brought his youth squad onto a live morning broadcast to react to the U. S. women's team winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Mandel and his players said they are looking to the national team's late-game resilience and individual moments of leadership as examples to emulate in practices and games ahead.

Key takeaways:

• The U. S. secured Olympic gold after an overtime goal by Megan Keller.
• Hilary Knight and Megan Keller were highlighted as leaders of the rally.
• A youth coach and his team publicly reacted and said Team USA will influence their approach moving forward.

Looking ahead, coaches and youth programs that have publicly engaged with the gold-medal outcome may incorporate elements they identified from the U. S. performance into training priorities. If the national team's late-game composure remains a repeatable model, it could shape how developing teams emphasize leadership and clutch execution in coming seasons.