(Utica) The United States defeated Canada 1-0 in overtime Monday night at the Women’s World Hockey Championship in Utica, New York.
With their victory, the undefeated Americans ensured they finished first in their group.
Kirsten Simms found the back of the net 3:38 into the overtime period, in front of a sellout crowd of 4,072 at the Adirondack Bank Center.
“ [C’est un] super surreal moment,” Simms said.
“Every time we play Canada, the matches are intense. How quickly the puck moves across the ice and how focused we have to be for 60 minutes, it’s huge, but a lot of fun. »
During overtime, Canadian forward Brianne Jenner fell near the boards and the Americans took advantage of her fall to obtain a surplus. Simms fired a shot between the pads of goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens.
In front of the United States net, Aerin Frankel stopped 26 shots to record the shutout. Desbiens stopped 29 pucks.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Goalkeepers Ann-Renée Desbiens and Aerin Frankel
“She was incredible,” Marie-Philip Poulin said of Desbiens. She kept us in the game. Very happy for her. It’s a shame that I acted as a screen on the goal, I’m not happy about it. »
“I didn’t like our attack,” analyzed head coach Troy Ryan. We did a good job in the second half of forcing turnovers and transitioning, but we weren’t able to complete plays. »
The top five teams from Group A, as well as the top three from Group B, will advance to the quarter-finals on Thursday. The semi-finals will be played on Saturday and the medal matches on Sunday.
Canada (3-0-1-0) will face Sweden, second in Group B, in the quarterfinals. The Americans still have to wait before knowing their opponent on Thursday.
The United States dominated 12-6 in shots in the first period, before seeing Canada lead 11-6 in the next period.
Desbiens stopped six shots from the Americans in overtime, before giving in to Simms’s shot.
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