LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gabbie Hughes scored twice and the United States women’s national hockey team improved to 2-0 in its Rivalry Series with a 5-2 win over Canada on Saturday.
Britta Curl scored the go-ahead goal off a turnover midway through the second period in a game the Americans never trailed. Alex Carpenter had a goal and assist, Hilary Knight set up two goals and Hannah Bilka also scored as the U.S. followed up its series-opening 3-1 win at Tempe, Arizona, on Wednesday.
Nicole Hensley stopped 23 shots for the defending world champions in a game played at Los Angeles.
Laura Stacey, with a shorthanded goal, and Jamie Lee Rattray scored, and Kristen Campbell stopped 19 shots for Canada, which has yet to hold a lead in a seven-game series which shifts to Canada. The teams next meet in in Kitchener, Ontario, on Dec. 14.
The Americans now enjoy a three-game winning streak over their cross-border rivals dating to a 6-3 win in the gold-medal game of the women’s world championships in April. The Rivalry Series is a lead up to the world championships, which will be held in Utica, New York, from April 3-14.
The U.S. is dominating the series so far despite featuring a younger roster that includes 10 college players. Canada’s roster features just two players still in college.
With the game tied at 1, ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ defender Sophie Jaques' pass through the middle of her own zone was intercepted by Curl, who stepped toward the net and had her shot get a piece of Campbell, with the puck trickling inside the right post with 8:09 left in the second period.
Another Jaques’ turnover in her own zone led to Bilka scoring four minutes later. U.S. forward Tessa Janecke tracked down a loose puck behind the ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ net and had her centering pass deflect off Jaques and directly to Bilka, who stuffed it in the open right side.
The 23-year-old Jaques was making her ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ national team debut, following her senior season at Ohio State where she was college women’s hockey’s top player in winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award last season.
Hughes’ power-play goal 3:19 into the third period secured the win, coming 42 seconds after Rattray cut the Americans’ lead to 3-2.
Wisconsin sophomore Laila Edwards became the first Black player to appear in a game for the U.S. women’s national hockey team. From Cleveland, the 19-year-old Edwards has risen up USA Hockey’s ranks and was named MVP at the Under-18 world championships in June, when the Americans won a silver medal.
´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ defender Erin Ambrose did not return after hurting her right leg in the second period.
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