MILAN, Italy — The United States Women’s Ice Hockey team has won its third-ever gold medal. On Thursday, Feb. 19, the USA squad came from behind to defeat rival Canada 2-1 in overtime.
Canada broke the scoreless game with a shorthanded goal less than a minute into the second period. It was just the second goal allowed by the Americans this Olympic run — and first since the opening game against Czechia back on Feb. 5. The collective 352-minute, 17-second scoreless streak is far and away the record for a team in Olympic history — men or women.
After losing 5-0 just six days prior, Canada, the defending gold medalist, had turned the tide and seemed poised to win yet another gold medal. With just over two minutes to play in the third period trailing 1-0, USA coach John Wroblewski called a timeout. America, in the Canadian third, pulled its goalie for an extra attacker, risking their own net wide open. The move paid off almost instantly as Wisconsin Badger defender Laila Edwards snapped a shot from the blue line on the net. USA captain Hilary Knight was shielding Canadian netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens, herself a former Badger, and Knight was able to deflect the flying puck into the net for the equalizer. Orangeville, Illinois graduate and Penn State senior Tessa Janecke was positioned to Desbiens left in case the shot had been blocked and the puck slipped free.
The goal came with just 2:04 left on the clock in regulation. The squads eventually went into overtime, which trims each team to three attackers and the goalie, also known as 3-on-3.
Just over four minutes into the extra period, USA’s Taylor Heise corralled the puck deep in her own zone and flung a pass forward to the neutral zone and a darting Megan Keller in transition. Keller deked her defender, and backhand flipped the puck off of Desbiens’ padding and into the net, lighting the lamp and sending the rink into pandemonium. Janecke was the first off the bench to grab the golden goal scorer in celebration.
Keller’s goal was also her third of the Olympics, as was Knight’s. Edwards and Keller each had their sixth assists of the Games, while Heise’s game-winning assist was her third of the tournament. Team USA outscored its opponents 35-3 in the seven Olympic games.
After the game, current Badger defender Caroline Harvey of Team USA was named the tournament MVP, scoring two goals and adding seven assists in the seven game event. Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin and Switzerland goalie Andrea Brändli joined Harvey in the coveted top-3 players of the tournament.
The Gold Medal USA roster was made up of four current Badgers and several former Badgers. Harvey and Edwards, Kirsten Simms and Ava McNaughton are all on the current Wisconsin roster. Knight, who also set the USA record — men’s or women’s — for total career Olympic goals, is a former Badger as well. This was her fourth and final Olympics, she had reportedly said before the event. Britta Curl-Salemme, a forward for the Minnesota Frost of the PWHL, is another former Badger on the roster. In all, 12 current and former Badgers played in the 2026 Olympics across the 10 countries that competed.
After returning from Italy, the seven active college players will return to their teams right as the NCAA tournament is about to kick off. The other 16 members of the USA roster all play professionally in the PWHL.
Wisconsin, the defending NCAA champion, has its final regular season series this weekend against St. Cloud State in Madison on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22 at La Bahn Arena. The WCHA tournament is Feb. 27 through March 7.
The NCAA Quarter Final will be March 12-14, Frozen Four Semifinals March 20, and Championship March 22. The Frozen Four and Championship games will be held at Pegula Arena, home of Penn State.
Penn State, led by Janecke throughout the season until she left for the Olympics, is 29-5 overall, 22-2 in the AHA and ranked fourth nationally. The AHA tournament opens Feb. 27.
Playing in 26 of the 34 games, Janecke leads the Nittany Lions with 40 points on the season — 19 goals and 21 assists. She had five assists for Team USA in the Olympic games.
Wisconsin (27-3-2) is the top-ranked NCAA team, followed by Ohio State (28-4) at No. 2 and Minnesota (24-7-1) at No. 3.
In the Bronze Medal game, Switzerland defeated Sweden in overtime, 2-1. Brändli had 33 saves in net.
Brändli played her college hockey at Ohio State for four years, and one year at Boston University. She plays professionally in Sweden. She is the cousin of the Brändli family in Monroe that has been a part of the local hockey programs dating back decades.
