USA vs Canada Women’s Hockey: First Loss for Team USA in 3-2 Defeat

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A controversial goal call gave the Canadians a 2-1 lead in the third, but the U.S. Women’s Olympic hockey team could not put a shot on net through the first 11 minutes of the final frame to flip the tables back in their favor in the team’s 3-2 loss to Canada on Wednesday.

Hilary Knight totaled her third goal in the third game of these Olympics and Anne Schleper put up two points in the 3-2 loss to the team’s bitter rivals to the north.

American goaltender Jessie Vetter got the start in net for the team, saving 28 of 31 Canadian shots and coming up big in the first two periods of what started out as a battle of the goaltenders with opposing netminder, Charline LaBonte.

The United States broke the goaltending duel on a power play with over three minutes left in the second. Canada’s Lauriane Rougeau sat in the box for body checking to put the U.S. on an extra skater advantage and the Americans set up in the offensive zone. With traffic in front, a point shot wrister from Schleper was tipped by Knight in front of LaBonte and went high on the goaltender for the 1-0 lead with 2:26 left in the middle frame.

The one goal lead held into the third period, but the Canadians tallied two quick goals within the first 3:54 of the period. Meghan Agosta for Canada took teammate Hayley Wickenheiser’s no-look backhanded pass and hit it home past Vetter who had no chance on the play for the 1-1 tie.

It got interesting from there, a mere minute and 33 seconds later. Wickenheiser shot the puck at Vetter, who looked to have the original shot gloved underneath her but the puck trickled out from under her and the whistle seemed to have sounded from the ice before the puck crossed the goal line but officials ruled the rolling puck a goal for the 2-1 Canada lead.

Canada took control of the pace from there, allowing no U.S. shots through the first 11 minutes of the third period. The Canadians increased their lead to 3-1 on a breakaway goal by Agosta, her second of the game. A defensive breakdown in the Canadian zone sent Agosta streaking down the ice and she put her second past Vetter five-hole with 5:05 remaining.

The U.S. cut Canada’s lead four minutes later with Vetter pulled for the extra skater. Schleper fired a slap shot from the left circle while LaBonte was still recovering from being knocked over after a save that hit up off of the Canadian goaltender’s glove and in for the 3-2 score. The Americans kept Vetter out of the net in the final minute and even with a 6-on-4 due to a Canadian extra-man on the ice penalty, the United States could not close the lead.

The team went 2-1 in the preliminary round of the tournament and will have to wait until Saturday after the quarterfinals to find their opponent for their next game on Monday, February 17, as the United States has already secured their semifinal bid with their previous 9-0 win over Switzerland.