U.S. beats Canada in women’s hockey world championship final on Hilary Knight hat trick
Hilary Knight had a hat trick, and the U.S. scored three times in the last four minutes to beat Canada 6-3 in the world championship final, ending a losing streak in the rivalry.
The Americans beat the Canadians in a major final for the first time since the 2018 Olympics. Canada won the previous two world championships, plus the 2022 Olympics, and was riding a five-game win streak overall in the rivalry, matching its longest in 13 years.
Canada led 3-2 after two periods in Brampton, Ontario, but 20-year-old defender Caroline Harvey tied it five minutes into the final frame.
Then the U.S. went on a five-on-three power play with 3:52 left and got two goals from Knight in a 27-second span. She became the first American to record a hat trick in an Olympic or world championship final and ran her career total to 101 points in world championships, the most by any skater. Knight, the 33-year-old captain, is the lone player on the U.S. roster born in the 1980s.
Abbey Murphy and Cayla Barnes also scored for the U.S.
For Canada, Brianne Jenner scored twice in the final, just as she did at 2022 Worlds. Marie-Philip Poulin added her 10th career goal in 14 career major finals versus the U.S. dating to 2009.
The Americans made major roster changes going into these worlds.
They were without three-time Olympic medalist forwards Kendall Coyne Schofield (pregnant) and Brianna Decker (retired). Maddie Rooney and Alex Cavallini, their No. 1 goalies from the last two Olympics, didn’t make the team at a March tryout camp.
John Wroblewski, who took over as coach after the 2022 Olympics, trotted out a second forward line of collegians — Taylor Heise, Hannah Bilka and Tessa Janecke.
He also threw Aerin Frankel into the crease after she didn’t make the 2022 Olympic team and played just 20 minutes at the summer 2022 Worlds. This month, Frankel became the first U.S. women’s goalie to start five consecutive games at an Olympics or worlds in 26 years.
The Americans host the 2024 Worlds in Utica, New York.
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U.S. beats Canada in women’s hockey world championship final on Hilary Knight hat trick originally appeared on NBCSports.com
