USA wins Series 4-1 before record crowd
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) scored on the power play 42 seconds into overtime to lift the U.S. Women’s National Team to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Canada in the final game of the 2019-20 Rivalry Series before a record-breaking crowd here tonight at Honda Center.
The U.S. captured the Rivalry Series crown, winning four of the five games played.
“It was a wonderful environment here tonight and a very exciting game,” said Bob Corkum, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. “Both teams laid it all out there. I thought everyone on our team played well. The compete was there, the effort was there and certainly the crowd helped us, especially in the third period.”
The two teams played in front 13,320 fans, which set a record for the most-attended women’s national hockey team game ever played on U.S. soil. The previous record was 10,158, which was established on Jan. 6, 2002, when the U.S. faced Canada at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho) opened the scoring at the 2:37 mark of the opening period, redirecting a shot from Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) past Canadian goaltender Genevieve Lacasse to give the U.S. a 1-0 advantage. With the goal, Knight extended her point streak to three games.
Canada responded with a goal of its own 24 seconds later and added another at the 16:32 mark of the period to take a 2-1 lead, but Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn.) fired a shot that beat Lacasse glove-side to knot the game up at 2-2 heading into the first intermission.
Canada took a 3-2 lead early in the second period, and despite a pair of quality chances, including a shot from Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) that rang off the crossbar, the U.S. could not find the equalizer and found itself down by a goal through 40 minutes.
Nearly five minutes into the third period, the U.S. almost tied up the game, but Alex Carpenter’s (North Reading, Mass.) redirected shot in front of the net deflected off the post and into the far corner.
The U.S. tied the game at the 11:00 mark of the third period when Monique Lamoureux-Morando (Grand Forks, N.D.) deflected Emily Matheson’s (Buffalo, N.Y.) shot past Lacasse. Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.), who grew up a short distance from the Honda Center and had more than 200 family and friends in attendance, also earned an assist on the play.
Highlights
With 11.7 seconds remaining in the third, the U.S. went on the power play and nearly ended the game with four seconds left, but Lacasse was able to make a save to send the game into overtime.
The U.S. began overtime on a four-on-three power play and less than a minute into the extra period, Bozek collected the puck in the slot and put home the game-winner with Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich.) gaining an assist.
Alex Cavallini (Delafield, Wis.) made 17 saves and earned the victory.
NOTES: Team USA outshot Canada by a 30-20 count … The U.S. went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Canada was 0-2.
(USA Hockey Photo)
