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GOLD-MEDAL GAMEDAY: The U.S. to Meet Canada With Gold on the Line

By USAHockey.com, 02/21/18, 7:45AM EST

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Puck drop set for 1:10 p.m. local time/11:10 p.m. ET (Feb. 21); Watch live on NBCSN

The 2018 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team will compete in the gold-medal game today (Feb. 22) at 1:10 p.m. KST/11:10 p.m ET (Feb. 21) in Gangneung, South Korea, at the Gangneung Hockey Centre, against Canada. Today marks the fifth time that the U.S. will face Canada in an Olympic tournament final.

GAMEDAY: The U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team will compete in the gold-medal game of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games today against Canada at the Gangneung Hockey Centre, marking the two teams' fifth time squaring off in the Olympic tournament final. Team USA will wear its royal blue third jerseys. Today's game will be televised on NBCSN and live game updates will be provided on Twitter @USAHockey.

ALL-TIME VS. CANADA: The U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team has a long history against the Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games, having faced each other seven times since 1998, including in four gold-medal games. The U.S. holds a 2-0-1-4 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record against Canada, and has fallen to its northern rivals in the previous five match-ups on the Olympic stage. The U.S. holds a 1-0-1-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in games with the gold medal on the line, having most recently fallen to Canada in a 3-2 overtime loss to claim a silver medal at the Sochi Games. Though each of the games have been decided by two or fewer goals, Canada holds the advantage in goal differential (+2). 

BORDER RIVALRY: The U.S. and Canada are the only gold-medal winners in Olympic Winter Games and International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship history. The United States is the four-time defending world champion and has captured gold at seven of the last eight IIHF Women’s World Championships (2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) and eight overall, including 2005. The U.S. has medaled at every Olympic Winter Games since the sport was introduced to the Olympic program at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, winning one gold (1998), three silvers (2002, 2010, 2014) and one bronze (2006). 

RECENT HISTORY: The U.S. played a series of international games in preparation for the Olympic Winter Games, finishing with a record of 5-0-2-3 (W-OTW-OTL-L) overall on the season. The U.S. defeated Canada in three out of eight meetings, the other two games were wins against Sweden and Finland. The U.S. fell to Canada in their final four meetings of the series: 2-1 in overtime on Dec. 17 in Edmonton, Alta., 3-1, on Dec. 15 in San Jose, Calif., 2-0, on Dec. 5 in Winnipeg, Man., and 2-1 in overtime on Dec. 3 in St. Paul, Minn. Previously, the U.S. had won all four games it played to earn its third-straight championship at the 2017 Four Nations Cup, which was held Nov. 7-12 in Wesley Chapel and Tampa, Fla. The U.S. split a pair of games with Canada in October, defeating its rival, 5-2, on Oct. 22 in Quebec City, Que., and then falling, 5-1, in The Time is Now Tour opener Oct. 25 in Boston, Mass.

YOUTH HOCKEY SPOTLIGHT: U.S. defenseman Emily Pfalzer (Buffalo, N.Y.) recalls a few coaches that she worked with throughout her middle school playing days and the impact they had on her career... 

"Coach Smallwood, Higgins and Kayne were my coaches in middle school. I was the first girl they ever coached and they did not treat me any differently than the boys. They taught us discipline and pushed me to be a better hockey player every day."

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2018 U.S. Women's Olympic Schedule

Date Opponent Round Result Venue Broadcast/Stream
Sun., Feb 11 Finland Preliminary W, 3-1 Kwandong Hockey Centre NBCSN
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Tues., Feb 13 Olympic Athletes From Russia Preliminary W, 5-0 Kwandong Hockey Centre NBCSN
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Thurs., Feb. 15 Canada Preliminary L, 1-2 Kwandong Hockey Centre NBCSN
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Mon., Feb. 19 Finland Semifinals W, 5-0 Gangneung Hockey Centre NBCSN
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Thurs., Feb. 22 Canada Gold-Medal Game W, 3-2 (SO) Gangneung Hockey Centre NBCSN
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