Megan Keller’s Overtime Backhand Caps U.S. Comeback After Hilary Knight’s Late Equalizer
The U. S. women’s hockey team completed a dramatic turnaround in the Olympic gold-medal game as megan keller finished the job in overtime after Hilary Knight forced extra time with a late tying goal — a sequence that produced a celebrated podium moment and left a lasting imprint on the rivalry with Canada.
Megan Keller's Overtime Winner and How It Unfolded
About four minutes into sudden-death overtime, a length-of-the-ice pass found Megan Keller on a streaking rush. Keller beat a defender with a quick, decisive move and then converted one-on-one, lashing a backhand through the Canadian goaltender’s legs to end the game and secure the gold medal. The play began with Taylor Heise’s long feed up ice and ended with megan keller’s finish that completed the Americans’ comeback.
That overtime winner came after a tense final period in which the U. S. had pulled its goalie to press for the equalizer. Coach John Wroblewski’s decision to chase the tying goal set the stage for a late attack; a third-period faceoff in the attacking zone led to a point shot that Hilary Knight redirected into the net with just over two minutes remaining, knotting the score and sending the game to overtime. Knight’s goal was the 15th of her Olympic career and represented a new American mark, part of a career total that also stands as a U. S. points record.
Anthem Moment, Team Bonding and Rivalry Context
After the final horn, the United States players stood arm in arm and sang the national anthem at the victory ceremony, a scene the team described as one of the best parts of the night. That shared moment followed a contest in which Canada had pushed the Americans for most of the game; Canada’s physical, relentless approach produced a shorthanded marker in the second period that at one point looked like it might be the deciding goal.
For nearly 58 minutes, the Canadians took the fight to the favored Americans, limiting dangerous chances in front of their goaltender and turning the crease into a difficult area for U. S. forwards to penetrate. Even so, the combination of Knight’s veteran presence and megan keller’s late offensive burst tipped the balance back in the U. S. favor when it mattered most.
What This Win Means and What Comes Next
The sequence that produced the gold — Knight’s veteran redirect to force overtime followed by Keller’s bold overtime finish — will be remembered as defining moments in the rivalry and in U. S. women’s hockey history. The game underscored a recurring pattern in the matchup: veteran leadership and timely execution overcoming a resilient, hard-nosed opponent.
Players, coaches and fans left the arena with two clear takeaways: a hard-fought gold medal for the United States and an Olympic final that showcased both the intensity of the rivalry and the emotional payoff of a shared national victory. The anthem moment on the podium capped a night where late-game resilience and decisive individual plays determined the outcome.
