UTICA, N.Y. –
Danielle Serdachny transformed a rebound in entrance 5:16 into extra time for a power-play purpose and Canada beat the USA 6-5 on Sunday in a panoramic ladies’s world hockey championship gold medal recreation.
Canada received its tournament-leading thirteenth gold medal and did so on U.S. soil in central New York, a yr after the People received their tenth match outdoors of Toronto.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice, Julia Gosling additionally scored, whereas Erin Ambrose and Emily Clark had pictures financial institution into the web off U.S. defenceman Caroline Harvey. Ann-Renee Desbiens completed with 19 saves, together with kicking out her left skate to cease Harvey’s wrap-around try 2:40 into the extra time.
Harvey and Laila Edwards had a purpose and help for the People who completed the match 6-1. Hilary Knight, Megan Keller and Alex Carpenter additionally scored for the U.S.
Serdachny’s purpose got here with two seconds left in a too-many-players penalty issued to the U.S. Erin Ambrose’s shot from the left circle was stopped by Aerin Frankel, earlier than Serdachny swept the unfastened puck into the web.
Frankel, who set the only match report with 4 shutouts, completed with 24 saves.
The neighbouring nations and girls’s international powers confirmed as soon as once more why their rivalry is considered the fiercest and most intense in sports activities.
This marked the tenth time in 36 world championship conferences the groups performed past regulation, and first in a gold-medal recreation since Poulin sealed a 3-2 OT victory in 2021. It additionally marked the highest-scoring recreation between the U.S. and Canada in any assembly because the People’ 7-5 win within the 2015 world championship gold-medal recreation.
The rivalry is so tight, each groups are 18-18 in world championship conferences, with Canada now holding a 104-103 edge in objectives scored.
They went from a low-scoring, however fast-paced and riveting preliminary spherical assembly on Monday, which the People received 1-0 on Kirsten Simms’ extra time purpose, to an offensive eruption.
The sport was a panoramic, back-and-forth affair during which neither crew was able to sustaining any momentum or holding greater than a one-goal benefit.
Simply when it appeared Canada had taken management with Poulin’s second purpose, which she took 4 whacks on the puck from in shut earlier than tapping it in with 7:41 remaining, Harvey scored 2:39 later. Lacey Eden arrange the purpose from behind the web, the place she fed Harvey for a one-timer from the left circle.
Canada’s Ella Shelton made a key cease with 3:21 left in regulation, when Edwards’ shot from the proper of the web deflected off somebody in entrance. The puck was dribbling towards the open left facet, earlier than Shelton reached out along with her follow deflect it simply extensive.
Canada opened the scoring 6:32 in when Ambrose’s shot from the proper level. Edwards tied it lower than two minutes later with a shot from the left circle, beating Desbiens excessive on the brief facet on a delayed penalty after Taylor Heise as tripped by Jocelyne Larocque on the blue line.
After Canada went up 2-1 on Gosling’s purpose 3:08 into the second interval, the People responded to take the lead with Keller and Carpenter scoring lower than six minutes aside.
Then it was the Canadians’ flip to tie it, with Poulin driving up the left wing, faking a move into the center and beating Frankel with a rising shot that went in off the crossbar. The purpose was simply the Canadian captain’s first of the match, as she was coming off an harm that led her to overlook the ultimate three PWHL video games with Montreal earlier than the league’s match break.
The sport was performed at a relentless tempo regardless of each groups taking part in on little relaxation. Event organizers elected to have the championship recreation performed at 5 p.m. EDT in a bid to draw extra spectators to make the journey to central New York. Consequently, the People had about 24 hours relaxation following their 5-0 semifinal win over Finland, whereas the Canadians had about 22 hours following their 4-0 win over the Czech Republic.
The gold-medal recreation was a standing-room-only sellout on the 4,000-plus seat venue, and made for an electrical environment with a big contingent of “USA! USA! USA” chanting followers.
Earlier within the day, Petra Nieminen scored the decisive shootout purpose, and Finland defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 to win its 14th bronze medal — and first since 2021.
Sanni Ahola made 29 saves via extra time, and stopped 4 of 5 shootout makes an attempt. She clinched the win by turning apart Denisa Krizova’s bid to beat her via the legs on the Czechs’ fifth and remaining try. Viivi Vainikka and Michelle Karvinen scored in a recreation Finland by no means trailed.
After Karvinen and Czech Republic’s Klara Hymlarova traded objectives via the primary two shootout rounds, Nieminen scored within the third spherical by flipping a shot to beat Klara Peslarova contained in the left submit.
The Finns entered the match because the fourth seed, in knocking off the Czechs who had received bronze in every of the previous two championships.
Peslarova stopped 47 pictures via extra time, whereas Denisa Krizova and Michaela Pejzlova scored for the Czechs.
Earlier within the day, the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation introduced subsequent yr’s world championships will likely be performed at Ceske Budejovice within the Czech Republic, the primary time the nation has hosted the match. Play will likely be start on April 8 and run via April 20.
