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
Less than 24 hours after a scathing report detailing abuse in women’s soccer was released, U.S. women’s national soccer team captain Becky Sauerbrunn answered the question she knew was coming.
“The players are not doing well,” she said from London ahead of Friday’s USWNT-England game at Wembley.
The U.S. Soccer-commissioned report, which was conducted by former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and the law firm King & Spalding, found that emotional abuse and sexual misconduct are systemic in women’s soccer.
“We are horrified and heartbroken and frustrated and exhausted and really, really angry,” Sauerbrunn continued. “We are angry that it took a third-party investigation. We are angry that it took an article in the Athletic and the Washington Post and numerous others.
“We’re angry that it took over 200 people sharing their trauma to get to this point, right now. And we’re angry that it took Mana (Shim) and Sinead (Farrelly) and Erin (Simon) and Kaiya (McCullough) and Alex (Morgan) and Christen (Press) and Sam (Johnson) to repeatedly ask people in authority to take their abuse and their concerns seriously.”
Sauerbrunn went on to say she believes “every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players, and failed to protect the players, and have not participated fully in these investigations should be gone.”
Sauerbrunn, who plays in the NWSL for the Portland Thorns, was later asked to confirm that that includes Thorns/Timbers CEO and owner Merritt Paulson.
“It includes everyone that has continued to fail the players time and time again,” she said.
The Yates report detailed how Paulson failed to take action and continued to support former Thorns head coach Paul Riley after Riley was accused of harassment and sexual coercion. Portland’s President of Soccer, Gavin Wilkinson, accused the player who raised the complaint of “putting Riley in a bad position” and said that he would “hire (Riley) in a heartbeat,” while President of Business Mike Golub has been accused of creating a disrespectful work environment that was especially toxic for women and working mothers.
Even current U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone experienced this environment. She told investigators that in 2013, while serving as Portland Thorns coach, Golub asked her, “What’s on your bucket list besides sleeping with me?”
The Yates report also notes that the Thorns were uncooperative with their investigation, despite making public statements to the contrary.
“The Portland Thorns interfered with our access to relevant witnesses and raised specious legal arguments in an attempt to impede our use of relevant documents,” the report says.
In addition to the U.S. Soccer-commissioned Yates report, a joint investigation from the NWSL and NWSL Players Association will be released later this year.
Shortly before Sauerbrunn began speaking, Paulson issued a statement saying that, effective today, he is removing himself from all Thorns-related decision making until the NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigation is published, and that Wilkinson and Golub will do the same.
That said, Paulson’s statement included no indication that he plans to sell the team or remove himself from the Portland Timbers operations.
USWNT defender Alana Cook, who joined Sauerbrunn for Tuesday’s media session, expressed her disappointment that so much of this has fallen to the players.
“It shouldn’t be on us any longer,” Cook said. “We deserve an environment where we get to go out and play and enjoy doing what we do. And we deserve to be in an environment that’s safe and protects that joy.”
The OL Reign won the 2022 NWSL Shield on Saturday with a 3-0 win against the Orlando Pride — and more than a little help from Gotham FC.
Heading into Saturday’s slate of games, it appeared likely that the Portland Thorns would walk away with the regular season title. The Thorns controlled their own destiny; all they had to do was beat Gotham, the last-ranked team in the league.
Instead, Gotham scored more goals on against the No. 1 team in the league than it had in its past eight games combined, coming back from a two-goal deficit to finish with a 3-3 draw.
Gotham goalie Michelle Betos said the team heard the NWSL was bringing the Shield trophy to Red Bull Arena — a rumor that turned out not to be true — but the impact was the same.
“We didn’t want that to be celebrated on our field,” Betos said.
“No one celebrates on our field, except for us,” echoed Ifeoma Onumonu.
“It’s definitely a painful one right now,” said Portland head coach Rhian Wilkinson. “Gotham came out to deliver a performance that they could put a full stop on a very challenging season. I thought it was really one of our weaker games all season, which is the frustration.”
Midge Purce had a particularly strong showing for Gotham just days after not being named to the latest USWNT roster.
“I think Midge Purce had a great game, and she caused a lot of problems,” Portland and USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn said.
After Portland squandered its opportunity to clinch the Shield, the OL Reign were on a mission.
“You can imagine the energy that was in the locker room before the start of the game, just knowing what was on the line,” said Megan Rapinoe. “Having everything in our hands is exactly how we wanted it.”
It was Rapinoe, in her 100th appearance, who put the Reign up 1-0 in the eighth minute. Jordyn Huitema and Bethany Balcer also notched tallies in the 3-0 win.
The win marks the OL Reign’s third NWSL Shield and first since 2015. Each OL Reign player will receive a $10,000 bonus after sponsor Carmax pledged to double the Shield prize money from the CBA minimum of $5,000.
The crowd of 10,746 at Lumen Field also broke the club’s largest standalone attendance record.
Follow Alex Azzi on Twitter @AlexAzziNBC