Boston Fleet’s Megan Keller scores in OT to give the United States Olympic gold in women’s hockey

MILAN (AP) — Megan Keller backhanded in a shot 4:07 into overtime and the United States won its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey, beating Canada 2-1 at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday night to close another thrilling chapter of one of sports’ most heated rivalries.

American captain Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 2:04 remaining. The goal was the 15th of her Olympic career and 33rd point to break the U.S. record in both categories.

With the sides playing 3-on-3, Keller — who is captain for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women’s Hockey League — broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, the U.S. assistant captain got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens over her right pad.

Aerin Frankel stopped 30 shots for the U.S.

Kristen O’Neill scored a short-handed goal for Canada and Desbiens finished with 31 saves.

The U.S. previously won gold at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature women’s hockey, and in 2018 in Pyeongchang. Canada, which won the other five gold medals, settled for its third silver.

This was the seventh of 12 Olympic meetings between the rivals to be decided by one goal and the third to go past regulation. Canada overcame a late 2-1 deficit to beat the U.S. 3-2 on Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime goal at the 2014 Sochi Games. The U.S. won 3-2 in 2018 when Jocelyne Lamoureux scored in a shootout.

Although the final couldn’t have been closer, the Americans were dominant in Milan, going 7-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined 33-2.

Canada pushed the U.S. to the brink just nine days after it was beaten 5-0 by the Americans in the preliminary round.

O’Neill’s goal 54 seconds into the second period ended the Americans’ shutout streak of 5 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds, dating to the second period of a 5-1 opening win over Czechia. The U.S. had not trailed in the tournament.

Canada was within grasp of its sixth gold medal before the U.S. pulled Frankel from an extra attacker and Knight converted. Edwards slapped a low shot at the net that Knight tipped in through her legs and past Desbiens.

This was the first Olympics for Edwards, the first Black woman to represent the U.S in hockey.