U.S. wins gold in overtime classic

In a hard-fought thriller, Tessa Janecke scored the overtime winner as the U.S. defeated archrival Canada 4-3 to win the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Ceske Budejovice. It’s the first American Women’s Worlds title since 2023 and ends Canada’s reign.

Janecke’s goal at 17:06 capped off the longest game in Women’s Worlds history. On the forecheck, the Penn State forward pressured Canadian blueliner Jocelyne Larocque behind the net, and Larocque misfired on a breakout pass that wound up on the stick of Taylor Heise. The Minnesota Frost star found Janecke back door, and she made no mistake for her third of the tournament. Janecke tossed her stick exuberantly over the glass as her teammates mobbed her.

Despite squandering a two-goal second-period lead, the U.S. just kept on battling to earn its 11th Women’s Worlds gold medal of all time.

The latest chapter in the greatest rivalry in women’s sports was also an exciting climax to the 12-day tournament in Czechia, which hosted the Women’s Worlds for the first time.

U.S. captain Hilary Knight captured the record-setting 10th Women’s Worlds gold medal of her career. Knight, 35, is also the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 67 goals and 120 points.

Final shots favoured Canada 47-30.

This was billed as a showdown between the PWHL’s top two North American goalies (by pro wins and save percentage). Canada’s Ann-Renee Desbiens, who plays for the Montreal Victoire, made 26 saves. The U.S.’s Aerin Frankel, who plays for the Boston Fleet, recorded 27 saves before getting knocked out of the game in the third period in a collision with Laura Stacey. Backup Gwyneth Philips held down the fort for victory.

 

Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin (4+8=12) won the tournament scoring title for the second time in her career (13 points, 2013). The legendary Quebec-born veteran is shining at a good time. Poulin is the only player – male or female – to score in four Olympic finals (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), and she could well make it five in Milan in February 2026.

After a scoreless first period in which Canada outshot the U.S. 14-8 and Poulin and Janecke failed to capitalize on golden chances, things got wild in the second period.

The teams each tallied a pair of goals within a span of just 2:16. First, the Americans blew the game open with two goals 29 seconds apart from their young guns.

At 7:16, Caroline Harvey drew first blood. The puck squirted to the flashy…