Kessel’s sister scores winning goal as U.S. edges Canada in women’s world hockey championship final
Sister of Leafs’ Kessel scores game winner
OT TAWA — Take that, Canada.
The United States avenged a loss on home ice a year ago by defeating Canada 3-2 in the gold-medal game of the women’s world hockey championship at Scotiabank Place on Tuesday night.
Amanda Kessel scored the winning goal at 3:09 of the third period to give the U.S. its fifth world title and fourth in the past five tournaments. Canada’s only triumph during that span came last year in Burlington, Vt.
The younger sister of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel — a star in her own right after collecting 101 points in 41 games for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and winning the Patty Kazmeier Memorial Award as the top player in U.S. women’s college hockey, she had joked about looking forward to playing the villain in front of Ottawa hockey fans. That, she did.
After pulling away from Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser to start a two-on-one break, Kessel used linemate Brianna Decker as a decoy before firing a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Canadian netminder Shannon Szabados. “You always know that it’s going to be a battle against Canada and you’re always going to get a great game,” Kessel said. “It feels good. It couldn’t feel any better.”
Decker and Megan Bozek scored the other U.S. goals, as the club made the most of its speed advantage and dominance in the faceoff circles, controlling play and outshooting Canada 30-16.
Courtney Birchard and Caroline Ouellette replied for Canada, which enjoyed the support of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Gov. Gen. David Johnston and most of the other 13,774 spectators in the arena.
“They all (hurt), for sure,” said Wickenheiser, who missed most of the preliminary round because of back spasms and ended the tournament with no points. “It’s tough to lose in your own country.
“The fans here have been so supportive and it has been such a great atmosphere here for women’s hockey. So, this stings, for sure.”
Birchard beat U.S. netminder Jessie Vetter with a fluttering shot in the first, a lead that lasted until early in the second, when Decker tied the score. Again it was a two-onone with Kessel, but this time Decker faked Szabados to the ice before firing the puck into the back of the net.
The U.S. continued to attack, taking advantage of a five-onthree power play. At 14:26, just 30 seconds after Wickenheiser joined Rebecca Johnston in the box, Bozek powered a slapshot past Szabados.
Before the period was done, though, with Decker in the box for body checking, Ouellette fired a slapshot through a collection of bodies for a powerplay goal.
That, however, turned out to be the last hurrah for Canada, which will have to accept that the U.S. is the reigning world champion going into the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
“We have to learn from some things that happened (Tuesday night),” said Canadian head coach Dan Church, the man assigned with leading the charge to defend the 2010 Olympic gold medal won in Vancouver. “But I think we’ll have to digest a bit of the grief from losing on home soil before we can really look at what we need to be better at in the long run.
“We have to figure out how to win two games in a row against this team. We haven’t been able to do that in the last couple of years.”
Kessel said the Americans wouldn’t stand still, either.
“I think our whole tournament, it wasn’t the best our team can play,” she said, “but really what matters is how you finish the tournament and I think we played our best game tonight.”