Team USA Completes Two-Goal Comeback; My Why Tour Continues Tuesday
KINGSTON, Ontario. – Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho) recorded two goals, including the game-tying and game-winner, as the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Canada, 3-2, in overtime in the third matchup of the My Why Tour, presented by Toyota.
“I thought we showed a great degree of resilience,” said Joel Johnson (White Bear Lake, Minn.), head coach of the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Team. “I don’t think we changed our style of play between the first, second and third and it was impressive that we stayed after it. Usually, you start to panic a little bit and try to play out of character and I was excited to see us continue to play the same way and find a way to put the puck in the net.”
Play was passive in the opening five minutes with just one total shot. Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn.) opened up the offense for Team USA with a good look on net followed by a quick pair of shots from her teammates to put the pressure on. Her initial shot gave the U.S. momentum to attack in the offensive zone for the next three minutes, but Canadian goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer turned away each U.S. shot.
Highlights
Canadian forward Rebecca Johnston found herself all alone with U.S. netminder Nicole Hensley (Lakewood, Colo.), but Hensley swallowed up the shot to keep the game knotted at zero with 8:35 to go. Team USA outshot its opposition, 7-3, in the opening frame but neither team could break the tie.
Canada drew a penalty early in the second and converted :15 into its opportunity to get on the board first. Canada extended its lead nearly two minutes later to force Team USA to press for a comeback.
A loose puck in front of Team USA’s crease nearly gave Canada its third goal but Hensley got her glove over it to keep it 2-0. Megan Keller (Farmington, Mich.) drew the team’s first penalty as Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) nearly netted Team USA’s first goal of the game. Kendall Coyne Schofield (Palos Heights, Ill.) dashed down the ice with less than a minute left and put one on net but couldn’t find twine as Team USA went into intermission down two.
Hayley Scamurra (Getzville, N.Y.) cut the lead to one less than three minutes into the third. Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.) sent one from the point where Britta Curl (Bismarck, N.D.) got a piece of the puck which fell in front of Scamurra to bury it.
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Photo Credit: Matthew Murnaghan/Hockey Canada Images
Just 1:17 later, Coyne Schofield patiently entered the offensive zone on the wing and sent a pass to Knight who beat Maschmeyer with a wrist shot to tie the game at two. Canada nearly regained its lead half a minute later, but a sprawled out save from Hensley kept the game tied.
Hensley held her own with less than five minutes to go after she made a series of game-saving saves on multiple counts. The U.S. drew a penalty with less than two minutes to go, but 60 minutes wasn’t enough as the game was tied at two heading into overtime.
Knight completed the comeback for the U.S. as she pushed one passed Maschmeyer :54 into overtime after a feed from Coyne Schofield from behind the net.
Hensley started in net for Team USA, stopping 18 shots faced.
The My Why Tour, presented by Toyota, will continue Tuesday, Nov. 23, against Canada in Ottawa, Ontario at 7:00 p.m. ET.
NOTES: The U.S. outshot Canada, 24-20… Team USA was 0-2 on the power play, while Team Canada was 1-3.
(Photo of Scamurra by Janet Schultz Photography, NY Hockey OnLine)
