USA vs. Canada gold medal hockey game: Highlights, post-game quotes, and Women’s Worlds history – On Her Turf | NBC Sports

Today, for the 20th time in IIHF Women’s World Championship history, the gold medal final featured the USA vs. Canada. On Her Turf live blogged the game, which Canada won 2-1. See below to relive how it unfolded.

2022 Women’s Hockey Worlds: Tournament format, playoff results, overtime rules and more


Women’s Worlds Gold Medal Game: USA-Canada Post-Game Quotes

Marie-Philip Poulin on whether she will have a bruise after blocking a shot in the final seconds of the game:

“I could take any bruise to make sure I was blocking that,” Poulin told On Her Turf.
“It’s funny people are surprised when one of our top scorers does that,” Jenner told On Her Turf. “But I’ve played with her since we were under 18 and I’ve seen her block a lot of shots. She’s clutch for us at both ends… When you look down the bench and everyone’s going to lay their body on the line and you see your captain do it, it’s infectious.”
“I always get made fun of my teammates because I don’t really remember what goes on all that well,” she laughed. “I think on the first one, I just tried to change the angle quickly and shot through the screen. I know (Nicole) Hensley is a really strong goalie so I had to change the angles a little bit before releasing it.
“Then on the second one, I think we had some good traffic at net. So even the best goalies, if they can’t see it, they can’t stop it.”
“I think at the end of the day, we ran out of time. I think this team had a great tournament. We were prepared. We played prepared… But we ran out of time tonight and we’ve got to find a way to flip that script.”
“We just want to be on top. That’s what competitors do,” Roque said. “A silver medal doesn’t cut it. We just want to be back on top. And I think we’re going to take this to heart again, just like we did with the last ones, and just keep pushing to get better.”
“I think so. I think they took a step-up in their offense, for sure. I think they were using below the goal line a lot and when teams do that, it’s tough to defend. We certainly learned a lot from that round-robin game. We have respect for them… we know that if we want to defend (our world title), we’re probably going to have to go through them again in April.”
“We’re so confident when she’s in the net. She’s as cool as a cucumber. … I thought she was really dialed in tonight, as she always is.”
“There’s going to be a lot of good hockey. The PWHPA Tour that we’re gonna have, it’s going to be best on best. A lot of players at this tournament, top U.S. players, top Canadian players, I think it’s going to be fantastic to watch. And I think the target is going to be on our back come April (at the World Championship). And that’s pressure we’re excited to have.”
“I really like how we came out. Our focus was to not let (Canada’s) aggressive style kind of take over… I thought we did a nice job of managing the walls and the trenches and advancing pucks.
“They (Canada) are such a mobile, heavy team — mature — they’ve got that winning pedigree, you can see it. It’s one we’re off just a degree on right now and one that we’re trying to gain on the fly with some really nice young players that are hopefully going to mature for us quicker than the expected timeline. I would say the future is bright for our group. I’m really proud to be their coach. It was an awesome experience and one that I’ll treasure for a long time.”
“I told them how proud I was of them and that it was an honor working with them. I also think the one thing I didn’t tell them, but we’ve talked about as a group, is that, a lot of the times, the work you put in now — or the work you put in a week ago — doesn’t get recognized right away. I think we live in a society that wants instantaneous turn-arounds. And that’s just not the case (in hockey).”
“Obviously happy and proud of this group of athletes and staff,” Ryan told On Her Turf. “I think the best thing is that we showed that there’s different ways to win hockey games.”
“It’s definitely challenging without a professional league. I think Hockey Canada does an outstanding job of supporting the athletes during those times that we’re not centralized. But, to be honest, they deserve more. They deserve an opportunity to play professionally. And I think the future of that game is very close. And I’m optimistic that events like this — and gold medal games like tonight’s game — just encourages more people to get involved and speed up the process to make sure it happens.”
Note: every post-grad member of Team Canada is a member of the PWHPA
Wow. Close call for Team Canada. Lacey Eden almost gets the puck past Ann-Renée Desbiens. The overhead replay is something to behold:
🙅‍♀️#WomensWorlds | @adesbiens30 pic.twitter.com/2IHnuq3OJL
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) September 4, 2022

48:34: The U.S. is back on the power play after Hilary Knight draws a penalty. It’s called on goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, but will be served by Sarah Fillier.
49:37: Woah. Scramble in front of the Canadian net, with Ann-Renée Desbiens struggling to cover it. When the whistle sounds, U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield approaches the referee, appearing to say the puck hadn’t been covered.
50:30: And another great opportunity from the United States. Really putting on the pressure during this power play opportunity.
51:12: And now it’s Canada on the power play as U.S. defender Savannah Harmon (tripping) heads to the penalty box.
57:21: The U.S. pulls Nicole Hensley to add the extra skater.
59:28: !!!! Ann-Renée Desbiens making save after save as the Americans pile on the shots.
59:58: Caroline Harvey shoots, blocked by Marie-Philip Poulin. Then Cayla Barnes with one final attempt, denied by the body of Jocelyne Larocque.
HOW DID @adesbiens30 KEEP THAT OUT!? 🤯#WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/LtxYhNJK8R
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 4, 2022

60:00: And that’s the buzzer! Canada wins 2-1. In the last six months, the Canadians have won Olympic gold, U18 Worlds, and now, their second straight senior world title.
Something to keep in mind: The gold medal wasn’t the only thing on the line today. While Canada would have walked away with a bonus for either silver or gold, the U.S. will walk away without any financial bonus after losing 2-1.
As a reminder: U.S. players are currently negotiating their contract with USA Hockey, which was initially set to expire midway through the tournament on August 31, 2022. On the final day, the two sides agreed to a one-month contract extension.
While I have no doubt that the U.S. women’s hockey team is driven by pride, above all else…
Keep in mind that USA Hockey no longer gives the women’s national team a bonus for anything other than gold at #WomensWorlds.
With a silver medal, they walk away empty handed.
— Alex Azzi (@AlexAzziNBC) September 4, 2022

0:00: Elsewhere in Denmark, there is some confusion about what the result of today’s 5th place game means. Japan defeated Finland 1-0 in a shootout to finish the tournament ranked fifth. Heading into the day, the IIHF website said the winner of the game would earn a spot in group A, but that page was later updated. If world ranking is used instead of today’s result, Finland will continue to play in group A instead of Japan.
I reached out to a representative for team Finland, who told me this:
A representative for team Finland told me they believed heading into the game (and continue to believe now) that the winner of the 5th place game (Japan) will play in group A next year. @IIHFHockey website was recently updated to say otherwise. 🤷‍♀️#WomensWorlds https://t.co/7PDaEBsiQt
— Alex Azzi (@AlexAzziNBC) September 4, 2022

29:30: And Canada scores! Brianne Jenner makes it look easy (video below). Goal assisted by Marie-Philip Poulin and Ella Shelton.
Start things off with a snipe! 🚨#WomensWorlds | @briannejenner pic.twitter.com/WKOMASJVyY
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) September 4, 2022

29:56: And for the third time today, a U.S. player is sent to the penalty box. This time it’s Hannah Brandt (boarding).
30:54: And Brianne Jenner strikes again, almost from the same place on the ice as her first of the day (video embedded below). The power play goal assisted from Sarah Fillier and Sarah Nurse. Canada leads 2-0.
.@briannejenner goes upstairs to extend 🇨🇦’s lead to ✌️. #WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/HGEFsPZ6Cx
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) September 4, 2022

31:00: Before American fans panic too much, it’s worth keeping in mind how the U.S. has rebounded in other games at this tournament.
“I don’t think the bounce back is necessarily an emphasis because that means you have the mindset of being down,” U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield told me yesterday. “But I think there’s just no quit in this group. There’s nothing that can shake this group.”
The U.S. was also down 2-0 to Canada in their group play game, which the Americans went on to win 5-2. Today is obviously a different day, but this game certainly isn’t over.
32:54: The U.S. is on the power play for the first time today as Sarah Fillier (slashing) heads to the penalty box.
38:20: Nicole Hensley has made some great saves since giving up two. That’s something U.S. head coach John Wroblewski shouted out the other day after the U.S. defeated Canada in group play:
“She easily could have let that (those two goals) define her for the evening, but she made some huge saves going forward in the first… and then she made 16 saves in the second and a handful those were grade A… What a performance by her and one that should be a confidence builder going forward.”
38:23: Now it’s Brianne Jenner headed to the box (interference). U.S. will go on the power play for the second time.
39:39: And the U.S. gets on the board! Abby Roque with a beauty of a power play goal, assisted by Amanda Kessel and Kendall Coyne Schofield (video below). With that, Coyne Schofield now owns the American record for most career assists at the world championships (41). Brianna Decker previously held the U.S. record.
Abby Roque finishes off the backdoor pass from Amanda Kessel to put Team USA on the board.
🇨🇦 Canada 2 – 1 🇺🇸 USA#WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/ExZxiOoC7t
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 4, 2022

40:00: What a period. Canada leads 2-1, with plenty of hockey still to be played.
Before puck drop:
8:52: Abby Roque is headed to the penalty box after an illegal hit on Sarah Nurse. Canada will have the first power play of the game.
15:00: It’s been a back-and-forth game so far, with just five shots on goal (two for the U.S., three for Canada).
16:00: Woah. Great shot from Marie-Philip Poulin, right off the face off. Nicole Hensley makes the save.
17:00: Alex Carpenter with a great opportunity, puck hits the crossbar (video embedded below). You can hear that “ping” all the way back in the United States.
😮 @carpy05 was SO CLOSE to grabbing the lead in the first. #WomensWorlds 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/meNOZqe46S
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) September 4, 2022

17:44: And another penalty for the United States. This time it’s Hayley Scamurra (boarding) headed to the box.
20:00: End of first period
“Walking out of Beijing, it’s not what any of us wanted,” U.S. forward Jesse Compher reflected yesterday. “I think that’s just fueled our fire every single day… That’s something you keep in the back of your head when you’re working out, when you’re skating, every single day.”
“(Beijing) was a really disappointing loss for us,” said three-time world champion Amanda Kessel. “These kinds of opportunities don’t come by that often. You never know when you’re going to get the opportunity to go into another world championship gold medal game. You never can take them for granted.”
‘There’s just no quit in this group:’ Dynamic U.S. team to play for gold at Worlds
“The gold medal game is huge,” Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin said after the team’s semifinal win vs. Switzerland. “I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it, but we know the target is on us and it’s okay. It’s about using the excitement and knowing [the United States] are coming for us, but just playing our game, keeping our focus on us and competing for 60 minutes.”
“I have goosebumps just thinking and talking about it,” said Canadian goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens. “Canada-USA is an amazing rivalry, it’s always intense and we definitely get the best out of each other. It’s physical and that’s what we love about it. It’s definitely going to be a very good game tomorrow.”
The U.S. has reached the world championship gold medal game 21 consecutive times, dating back to the inaugural championship in 1990. The only time Canada failed to reach the world championship final was in 2019.
Here is a complete history of the U.S. and Canadian hockey teams in Olympic and world championship finals. Games that did not involve either the U.S. or Canada are marked with an asterisk (*)
Earlier on Sunday, Czechia won the bronze medal game vs. Switzerland, marking the first ever world championship medal for the Czech women’s hockey team.
Czechia won 4-2, with goals from Natalie Mlynkova (2), Daniela Pejsova, and Vendula Pribylova.
Switzerland struggled with injuries and absences throughout the tournament and only 17 players were able to dress for today’s game.
Is this real life?🎉
Dreams come true🇨🇿🥉@narodnitymzen #WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/YsvN8GzHov
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) September 4, 2022

Follow Alex Azzi on Twitter @AlexAzziNBC
The Las Vegas Aces extended their advantage over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday evening, winning Game 2 of their best-of-five WNBA Finals series in decisive fashion, 85-71. The Aces were powered by 2022 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, who had a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds, and punctuated by 20-point performances from Chelsea Gray (21 points, eight assists) and Kelsey Plum (20 points, seven assists).
The Sun were paced by Courtney Williams with 18 points and five assists. Also in double figures were Jonquel Jones (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Alyssa Thomas (13 points), while Brionna Jones came off the bench to score 12.
Connecticut will host Game 3 on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Aces’ leading scorer A’ja Wilson on her second straight double-double performance: “I’m just getting to my spots. My teammates are putting me in a situation where I’m comfortable and I’m just getting to my spots and taking what the defense gives me.
Aces’ Chelsea Gray on her performance Tuesday and what it will take to win the title on the road: “It’s gonna take every bit of every body and you know, you can see the stats, you can see the points and what it says, but it’s the toughness, the little things that’s going to get it done. … We’ve been a good road team this year, all year, so we might as well just go ahead and try to win on the road.”
Aces’ Kelsey Plum on her turnaround from six points in Game 1 to 20 in Game 2: “A’ja cussed me out before the game. That’s all I needed. About time I joined the party. They’ve been carrying us all week, so it was good to hit some shots, but we got one more.”
Aces’ head coach Becky Hammon on whether she feels like she’s proving naysayers wrong in first year as head coach: “It’s about putting these ladies in a position to win a championship. That’s been my focus. That’s why I took this job. I felt they had the talent to do it. And I felt that I can build the relationships and build a culture the right way for us to put ourselves in a position to be able to win a championship. Like I said before, we haven’t won anything yet. All’s we did is take care of home court. We did what we were supposed to do, but I’m used to people not picking me. I don’t know if you’re aware. I just do me.”
“I just do me” 😌@BeckyHammon is used to being counted out but now her @LVAces team is just 1 win away from the first title in Las Vegas history #MoreThan pic.twitter.com/hqbhck9ejA
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

Connecticut head coach Curt Miller on the Game 2 loss: “We just, you know, felt like we were playing catch-up all night because we couldn’t string together consecutive stops. And again, we’re trying to find disruption. We’re trying to keep this high-powered offense out of rhythm. And tonight, we really struggled to do that.”
Sun’s Jonquel Jones on mindset going home for Game 3: “We’re just taking it one game at a time now. That’s all we can do. We’re gonna go back home, like you said, we’re gonna have our fans behind us, who’ve been with us the entire season, and we’re gonna use that to propel us to win. That’s all we can do.”
10:00 Q4: Ahead of the fourth quarter, Kelsey Plum (20 points on 7-of-11 shooting) tells ESPN about her turnaround from her six-point performance in Game 1: “It’s new day. Shooters shoot. There’s really nothing else to say. I have confidence in myself. I have confidence in God. My team has confidence in me, my coach. It’s just a matter of time.”
GET ME LITTTT THEN @kelseyplum10 🙌
📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/J9X73X7BWz
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

6:18 Q4: Sun head coach Curt Miller calls a timeout, as nearly midway through the final quarter, Connecticut has added just two points on a pair Jonquel Jones free throws. Aces lead 74-56.
4:28 Q4: Chelsea Gray pushes the Aces’ lead to 20 points after making a 27-foot three point jumper, 80-60.
1:59 Q4: Aces starters head to the bench as Sun take 20-second TO, Aces lead 82-62.
0:00 Q4: Las Vegas wins handily, 85-71, and extends their best-of-five series lead to 2-0 and stand just one win away from a franchise-first WNBA title.
9:34: Q3: Chelsea Gray opens the scoring in the second half with a jumper from 19 feet, putting the Aces back up by 10 at 47-37 and satisfying the record-breaking, sold-out crowd (video below) at Las Vegas’ Michelob Ultra Arena.
The @LVAces are RECORD BREAKING 👏
There are 10,211 people in the house tonight, making it a sellout crowd 🧡 pic.twitter.com/xVUDXy1Zzg
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

7:11 Q3: A 7-0 run that included two buckets from Alyssa Thomas and a three-pointer from Jonquel Jones makes it a three-point game. Aces lead 49-46.
6:03 Q3: Chelsea Gray limps off the court after making a driving layup to put the Aces back out front by seven (video below). She’s got 10 points and seven assists. Gray exits at the timeout and heads back to the Aces’ locker room.
That’s strength right there @cgray209 😤 pic.twitter.com/grGuGPIAns
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

3:38 Q3: A’ja Wilson sinks a bucket from 18 feet to give Vegas another 10-point lead at 58-48. She now has 20 points, as does Kelsey Plum. Gray comes back out from the locker room (back in the game at 3:00 mark).
0:00 Q3: The Aces hold a 14-point lead for the second time during the game, heading into the fourth quarter at 68-54. Riquna Williams nailed 24-foot three-point jumper at the 22.3 mark and A’ja Wilson (22 points) added two from the line with 0.5 left.
6:59 Q2: Sun go on a 6-0 run of their own, edging closer the Aces at 23-29.
5:55 Q2: Kelsey Plum follows up a 3-pointer from 25 feet with a layup to give the Aces another double-digit lead at 34-23.
It’s to easy for @kelseyplum10 😈
📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/7u5DAyIAVD
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

2:48 Q3: A’ja Wilson extends Vegas’ lead to 13 points (41-28) as she hits 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
19.3 Q3: The Aces call a timeout after the Sun go on a 9-2 run, cutting the deficit to six points. Aces lead 43-37.
0:00 Q3: A’ja Wilson gets a bucket with 1.6 left as the Aces take an eight-point lead into halftime (45-37). Wilson leads all scorers with 18 points, with Kelsey Plum adding 13. Jonquel Jones leads the Sun scorers at the half with 11; Courtney Williams had 10.
The @LVAces are up 45-37 at the half vs the @ConnecticutSun in Game 2 of the #WNBAFinals@_ajawilson22: 18 PTS, 2 REB, 1 BLK@kelseyplum10: 13 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST@jus242: 11 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST@CourtMWilliams: 10 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST
Watch second half action on @espn 📺 pic.twitter.com/sXVFjuIpIq
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

8:26 Q1: The Sun and Aces pick up where they left off Tuesday, trading baskets as the two teams tie at 6-6 early. A’ja Wilson is first on the board again (video below).
.@_ajawilson22 on the board first again in Game 2 of the #WNBAFinals
We live on @espn pic.twitter.com/cqu76CRoZZ
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

3:45 Q1: Well more than halfway through the first quarter, the tug-of-war continues … A’ja Wilson leads all scorers with eight points, while Courtney Williams has put up six for the Sun. Tied at 14 as Las Vegas takes a timeout.
1:55 Q1: Aces go on a 7-0 run, started and capped by Chelsea Gray (video below), sandwiched around a 3-pointer from Jackie Young. Aces lead 21-14 as Sun call a timeout.
OMGGGGG @cgray209 had her on skates 🛼
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE POINTTT GAWDD WHEN SHE COMIN’ DOWN LIKE THISSS 🤯
📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/94S50Ly0Hq
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2022

0:00 Q1: Las Vegas ends the quarter on a 9-1 run, finishing the first quarter with a 23-15 lead.
The top-seeded Las Vegas Aces jumped out to a 1-0 series lead on Sunday with a narrow 67-64 victory of the third-seeded Connecticut Sun in their best-of-five 2022 WNBA Finals.
Newly minted 2022 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray added 21 points and Jackie Young chipped in 11 as the franchise won its first WNBA Finals game in franchise history.
The Sun were led by Alyssa Thomas with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 15 points, and Brionna Jones came off the bench to score 12.
Aces coach Becky Hammon on Game 1 win: “Obviously had a rough night offensively. Give credit to (the Sun’s) defense and give credit to us missing. I thought it was a little bit of both. But that’s a tough team. This is where they like the score to be, and we’ll go back, look at the film and make some adjustments. Happy that we won. It’s better than losing, but there’s a lot of things that we can do better.”
Hammon on A’ja Wilson: “Her leadership, who she is, she got (the) ‘it’ factor. She got ‘it’ factor. She gets it. She understands leadership. Because I don’t really know her as a person. I was watching like everybody else was watching from afar. She’s got beast skills. She’s a beast human. She’s a good one. I’ll go to battle with her any day.”
Sun coach Curt Miller on Game 1 loss: “Unfortunately the big stat line difference tonight in a lot of areas was their ability to get to the foul line and play through contact, and we struggled to get to the foul line and any kind of offensive rhythm there in the second half, and that’s a credit to their defense. But you know, really pleased with holding that high-powered offense down and got the style of play we wanted. So we are encouraged but I’m disappointed that it didn’t equate to a win.”
A’ja Wilson regarding getting the Aces’ first win under their belts: It was a game we needed. It was a game we needed not necessarily because, oh, it’s our first win. It’s because it’s something that this is huge for us. These are statement games in a way and when you are playing a good team like Conn, you have to really lock in at all costs. It was good to have a game underneath our belt. The crowd was great and now we have to get ready for Game 2.
Alyssa Thomas on her takeaways from Game 1: “After this game, we have to have a lot of confidence. I mean, this is a three-point game and we had a chance to tie. I think we are very confident and we know that all you need is one (win), and then there’s two games at our place. So, there’s some things we can clean up — of course we can make more shots — but overall we played a hard game.”
Aces leading scorers (postseason points average):
Sun leading scorers (postseason points average):
Note: Games marked with an asterisk (*) are if necessary
The 2022 WNBA Finals featuring the Las Vegas Aces vs. the Connecticut Sun are in full swing. The Las Vegas Aces lead 1-0 with game two of the best-of-five series tipping off tonight (9pm ET on ESPN, full schedule below).
See below for On Her Turf’s guide to the 2022 WNBA Playoffs, which includes a complete TV schedule, details on how to watch, results from previous rounds, and info on the new playoff format for 2022. This guide will continue to be updated throughout the 2022 WNBA Playoffs so bookmark this page and check back for updates.
Note: Games marked with an asterisk (*) are if necessary
 
A new format is in use for the 2022 WNBA Playoffs.
In a change from the previous playoff format, all eight teams will participate in a best-of-three first round. The bracket will be seeded with the No. 1 team playing against the No. 8 team, and so on. The higher ranked team will host the first two games in the series. The lower ranked team will host the third game in the series (if necessary).
The four winners of the best-of-three series will move on to a best-of-five semifinal round. Teams will not be reseeded following the first round. As in years past, the higher ranked team will host games 1, 2, and 5 (if necessary), while the lower ranked team will host games 3 and 4 (if necessary).
The two winning teams from the semifinal round will play in a best-of-five WNBA Finals series, which will use the same host format as the semifinal round.
Follow Alex Azzi on Twitter @AlexAzziNBC

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