MILAN (AP) — The United States and Canada will face off for Olympic gold for a seventh time since women's hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games in a border rivalry that never gets old.
And this time, the Americans are the favorites at the Milan Cortina Games.
The U.S. clinched its berth with a 5-0 win over Sweden in semifinal play on Monday. And the defending champion Canadians followed with Marie-Philip Poulin scoring twice to set the Olympic career
goal record in a too-close-for-comfort 2-1 victory over Switzerland.
The outcomes set up the latest showdown between the sport’s global powers in the gold medal final on Thursday.
And it could very well be the last meeting between the two teams’ long-time stars: Poulin, nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” and U.S. captain Hilary Knight, who has already announced these will be her fifth and final Olympics.
For the Americans, it didn’t matter who they faced in a tournament they’ve dominated by going 6-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined margin of 31-1.
“We’ve played them quite a few times, so obviously, won’t be surprised, but I know they’ve got a game first too,” defender Lee Stecklein said. “Whoever we face, we’ve got to be ready for that challenge.”
Goalie Aerin Frankel stopped 21 shots for her third shutout of the tournament, and the Americans blew the game open with Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra scoring on consecutive shots over a 2:47 span late in the second period. Cayla Barnes opened the scoring and Taylor Heise also scored.
The U.S. has yet to trail or be tied after 0-0, and in position to become the third women’s team to do so over the entire tournament, joining Canada in 2006 and 2010. The Americans also extended their shutout streak to 331 minutes, 23 seconds, going back to Czechia’s Barbora Jurickova beating Frankel on a breakaway in the second period of a tournament-opening 5-1 win.
“I think we’re looking incredible. The whole tournament we’ve really been consistent,” Scamurra said. “I don’t even think we’re at the peak, but I think our peak is getting that gold medal in hand for sure.”
The Canadians have had their struggles during a tournament Poulin missed two games — including the loss to the U.S. — with a right knee injury before returning for a 5-1 win over Germany in the quarterfinals.
Poulin opened the scoring 1:49 into the second period by skipping a shot from between the circles that bounced and banked in off goalie Andrea Braendli’s stick. She made it 2-0 some 6-1/2 minutes later by converting a rebound after Braendli stopped a shot from Daryl Watts.
Poulin now has 20 career goals in five Olympic appearances, and broke the record of 18 held by former teammate and Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser.
Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped seven shots.
Rahel Enzler scored for Switzerland 4:53 into the third period. Braendli, coming off a 40-save outing in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Finland, finished with 44 saves.
Now it’s on to the gold medal game in a tournament the U.S. already beat Canada 5-0 in a preliminary round game last week. The Americans won Olympic gold in 1998 and 2018, with Canada winning the other five tournaments.
The U.S. has had the recent edge in the rivalry between the sport’s two global powers in having won seven straight dating to beating Canada twice at the world championships in April.
“Nothing matters. It’s the gold medal game,” Heise said of a potential rematch against Canada. “Obviously, I’m going to say we’ve done great and we’ve had great success. You want to take that confidence and motivation, but you want to move forward. We’re going to look for us and we’re going do what we need to do on Thursday and hopefully come on top.”
Sweden and Switzerland will play for bronze in a rematch of their meeting at the 2014 Sochi Games. Switzerland won 4-3 to win its first and only women’s hockey medal.
The Swedes are seeking to win their third Olympic medal, and first since winning silver at the 2006 Turin Games after upsetting the U.S. in the semifinals.
“We’re not done yet. We’re going for the bronze now,” Sweden forward Nicole Hall said.
Ebba Svensson Traff stopped 19 of 23 shots before she was pulled after Coyne Schofield tipped in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 3:50 left in the second period. Emma Soderberg took over, allowing a goal on 11 shots.
Though the Swedes kept the game close through 35 minutes, the Americans eventually wore them down.
“Maybe today we needed a plexiglass in front of the net to stay in the game,” coach Ulf Lundberg said, noting his team kept the U.S. mostly at bay with the exception of the late second-period collapse. “I’m proud of the work ethic and I’m proud of the way we could do the third period. So we have a lot of habits to take with us to the bronze medal game.”
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