Brianne Jenner scored twice as Canada beat the United States 4-2 on Tuesday in the women’s hockey tournament at the Beijing Olympics.
Marie-Philip Poulin hit the target on a penalty shot and Jamie Lee Rattray added a goal for the Canadians, who finished first in Group A by a 4-0 record.
Goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens quickly put her mark on the game and finished the game with 51 saves.
Dani Cameranesi and Alex Carpenter replied for the Americans (3-1). Maddie Rooney blocked 23 of 27 shots aimed at her at the Wukesong Sports Center.
Canada will now face the third-place team in Group B in the quarter-finals of the tournament. These will take place on February 11 and 12.
Russia, Finland and Switzerland are also in Group A. Japan, the Czech Republic, China, Sweden and Denmark make up Group B.
The semi-finals will be held on February 14. The bronze medal game will be played on February 16 and the gold medal game will be on February 17.
Canada had outscored their opponents 29-3 in the first three round robin games. The United States had prevailed 18-2.
The North American rivals demand fast hockey when they go head-to-head and that was the case in this most recent duel. The Canadians used two penalties in the third period to confirm their victory.
American defender Cayla Barnes batted Poulin on a breakaway late in the second period. The Canada captain beat Rooney with a low shot on her penalty shot, giving her squad a 4-2 lead.
The Canadian team came out ahead 3-2 with a four-goal surge in just over six minutes in the second period. Spooner put the puck in front of the net for Rattray, who eluded Rooney’s vigilance.
Jenner accepted the pass from Sarah Nurse and threaded the needle to allow Canada to tie the game in the second period.
Carpenter’s power-play goal gave the United States a temporary lead. His backhand shot, following a handover from Amanda Kessel, beat Desbiens in the top corner.
Cameranesi scored the first goal for the Americans. Desbiens lost sight of the puck after an initial stoppage, allowing Cameranesi to jump on his own throwback.
The United States outshot Canada 16-5 in the first period, but it was the Maple Leaf representatives who returned to the locker room with the lead. On the power play, Jenner put the finishing touches on a trade with Poulin and Sarah Fillier.