BATTLE LINES DRAWN
Amanda Kessel and the U.S. knocked off Canada for the third time in a month with the Olympics looming,
TAMPA, FLA.— Hannah Brandt scored twice in the second period and the United States women beat Canada 5-1 on Sunday to win their third straight Four Nations Cup championship.
Hilary Knight and Amanda Kessel each added a goal and an assist. Kendall Coyne had a goal, and Dani Cameranesi added four assists.
Maddie Rooney made 18 saves and improved to 3-0 in the Americans’ four games at this tournament. The goalie now is 4-0-0 this fall with three of her victories against Canada.
The United States won the event for the eighth time overall. Better yet, the Americans now have beaten their biggest rivals for the third time in four games over the past month as they tune up for the Pyeongchang Games in February. The two women’s hockey powers will meet again as part of their pre-Olympic exhibition tour on Dec. 3 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“We are progressing toward Febru- ary,” U.S. coach Robb Stauber said. “That is our main objective: to be the best that we can be before February, and this is a stepping stone.”
Since Canada won the gold medal in 2014 at Sochi with a 3-2 overtime win, the United States now has won six of seven titles and 10 of 13 games overall against the only other country to win Olympic gold in women’s hockey.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin said every loss is frustrating.
“That’s not the result we wanted, but we will go back to Calgary and work hard as a team,” Poulin said. “It’s a long year, and we will keeping working to get better so we can get there.”
Brandt broke open a scoreless game with her goal at 15:06 of the second period, beating Genevieve Lacasse with a wrist er from just inside the left circle. Brandt quickly gave the Americans a 2-0 lead less than 2 minutes later.
Meghan Agosta scored just past the midway point of the third period pulling Canada within 2-1. Knight scored on a power play with 3:41 remaining, and Kessel scored on a 5on-3 with 67 seconds left as the Americans made Canada pay for too many late penalties. They went 3 of 7 with the advantage, and Coyne finished off the win with her goal with17 seconds left.
“Unfortunately, it was really the last five minutes of the third where we weren’t disciplined that ended up costing us,” Canadian coach Laura Schuler said. “The final score wasn’t indicative of how the game was played.”