MADISON — Canada roared back from an all-time embarrassing loss to their American rivals to take the gold with a 3-2 score at the 2022 Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship at LaBahn Ice Arena in Madison. It was the 13th time in 14 tournaments the bordering countries met in the gold medal game, with 2018 being the lone exception.

The United States had completed shut down their longtime rival in pool play, 7-0. It was the largest scoring difference between the two countries in history.

However, Canada played the first game without star Jade Iginla, daughter of NHL great Jarome Iginla. In the rematch — the championship game played June 13 — Canada’s defense and goalie Mari Pietersen stepped up and stifled the American’s top line of UW Badger recruits Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms, and Orangeville native and Penn State commit Tessa Janecke. The trio were the top scoring line in the tournament, and Edwards was named tournament MVP.

In the championship game, however, Canada scored three goals — included two within a minute of each other — to put the Americans in catch-up mode. The U.S. outshot Canada 31-21 in the title game, and scored both goals within just seven seconds of each other in the second period from Finley McCarthy and Claire Enright, but the Canadians locked down the rest of the night.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in 2021, but was postponed twice due to COVID-19. The next senior women’s tournament will be in Denmark from Aug. 24 to Sept. 4. There is a chance some of the U18 stars could move up for that chase. The next U18 Women’s World Championship will be Jan. 8-15, 2023, in Sweden.