The United States wrested the gold medal back from Canada at the women’s world hockey championship with a 4-3 overtime win in Sunday’s final.
Tessa Janecke scored the overtime winner as the U.S. claimed its second world title in three years after beating host Canada in the 2023 final in Brampton, Ont.
The Americans earned an 11th gold medal behind Canada with 13.
It was the 10th final between Canada and the U.S. to go to overtime or a shootout. They’re 5-5 in those games.
Canada players stand dejected after the gold medal match between Canada and United States at the Women’s Ice Hockey Championships in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Sunday, April 20, 2025.
AP Photo/Petr David Josek
The rivalry for women’s hockey supremacy continues into next year’s Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, where Canada will attempt to defend the gold medal there.
The U.S. defeated Canada in a shootout to be Olympic champions in 2018.
U.S. captain Hilary Knight extended her record for the most world championship gold medals (10) and medals (15) won by a player.
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Janecke ended it at 17:06 of a 20-minute overtime, shovelling the puck by Canada’s Ann-Renee Desbiens on a Taylor Heise feed.
Heise, Caroline Harvey, Abbey Murphy also scored for the U.S.
Gwyneth Philip finished the game in the American net with 17 saves.
She replaced Aerin Frankel in the third period when the U.S. starter was shaken up in a collision with Canada’s Laura Stacey. Frankel had 27 saves.
Danielle Serdachny, Jennifer Gardiner and Sarah Fillier scored for Canada. Desbiens stopped 26 shots in the loss.
Canada and the U.S. have met in 23 world championship finals.
Canada had lost 2-1 to the U.S. in a Pool A game a week earlier in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
The U.S. grabbed a two-goal lead Sunday with Harvey and Murphy striking in a 29-second span starting at 7:16 of the second period.
But less than a minute later, Canada countered with two in 55 seconds from Serdachny and Gardiner.
The Canadians couldn’t produce a go-ahead goal on back-to-back U.S. minors for tripping and hooking, respectively, later in that period.
With the U.S. on its first power-play of the game early in the third, Frankel skated out to the faceoff dot collided with Stacey in a foot race for the puck.
Frankel came out of the game for Philips at 4:35, while Stacey’s charging penalty gave the Americans one minute 48 seconds of a two-player advantage.
Heise picked the top corner of Canada’s net for a go-ahead goal at 5:27, but Fillier pulled Canada even again at 14:12 on rebound during a goalmouth scramble.
After winning an offensive-zone faceoff, Poulin from behind the net fed Gardiner for a tap-in at the side at 9:32 of the second period to draw Canada even.
Poulin led the tournament with four goals and eight assists in seven games and was named the event’s MVP.
Serdachny lofted a shot that Frankel, who was moving the wrong way, couldn’t get enough glove on to stop at 8:37.
When Desbiens didn’t secure a Kendall Coyne Schofield lob on to Canada’s net, Murphy raced to backhand the puck in at 7:45.
Harvey went backhand to forehand gathering a rebound before whipping the puck top corner for the first goal of the game at 7:16 of the second.
Finland downed host Czechia 4-3 in overtime for the bronze medal.
A Czech city hosted the women’s championship for the first time.
The announced total attendance of 122,331 at Budvar Arena ahead of medal games surpassed the previous high of 119,231 in 2007 in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Man.
The 2026 women’s world hockey championship host city will be announced at the IIHF’s congress in May.
Denmark and Austria earned promotion to 2026 by winning their Division 1 tournaments.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
