HERNING, Denmark –
Canada defended its title with a 2-1 victory over the United States in the final of the World Women’s Hockey Championship on Sunday.
Brianne Jenner scored two goals in the second period and goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens made 20 saves in the Canada net.
Abby Roque scored for the Americans and Nicole Hensley stopped 17 shots in the loss.
The Canadians won gold in a third major international event in the space of a year.
They edged the United States 3-2 in overtime just over a year ago in Calgary in a world championship postponed until August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada also beat the United States 3-2 in February’s Olympic women’s hockey final in Beijing.
This Canadian team was a work in progress throughout the tournament in Denmark as head coach Troy Ryan juggled his forward lines in search of chemistry.
Canada and the United States both fired 18 players from their Olympic rosters. The Americans seemed to absorb roster changes there faster than Canada.
The USA went undefeated in the final, including a 5-2 victory over their arch-rival in the preliminary round, with a plus-47 goal differential compared to plus-22 for Canada.
In addition to moving the puck faster and cleaner than in the loss to the United States, Canada also defended more tenaciously in the penalty area between and below the face-off spot.
Trailing 2-1, USA nearly fired even on a pair of power-play chances in the third period, and also in a furious final minute with Hensley fired for an extra forward.
But a composed Desbiens held off the charge throughout the third period as Canada were outshot 12-6.
Canada and the United States have met in the final of all but one world championship since the inaugural tournament in Ottawa in 1990. Canada lost to Finland in the 2019 semi-final.
Canada led 2-0 on a quick pair of goals from Jenner until Roque cut the deficit in half with his fourth power-play goal of the tournament at 19:39 of the second period.
Amanda Kessel drew the Canadian and Desbiens defenders towards her and put a pass in the mouth of the goal to an uncontrolled castling to score.
Jenner’s nine goals at the Winter Olympics in February tied a tournament record, but the veteran didn’t score at the world championship until Saturday’s semi-final win over Switzerland.
Jenner beat Hensley with a wrist shot just below the face-off spot for a power play goal at 10:54. Jenner scored her first goal in the same area, but from a higher angle.
She picked up a pass from Marie-Philip Poulin on the high boards, took the puck deep and handcuffed Hensley with a low shot from the far side at 9:30.
Canada outshot the USA 5-2 in a scoreless first period and went 0-2 on the power play.
American forward Alex Carpenter hit the crossbar with three minutes left in the period.
The 2023 Women’s Championship will take place in Canada in an as yet unannounced city, followed by the United States which will host it in 2024.
Canada and the United States will also face off in a seven-game Rivalry Series this winter.
The International Ice Hockey Federation introduced a top-level women’s championship in the same year as the Olympic Games for the first time in 2022 to encourage federations to invest more consistently in women’s hockey.
The 10-country field in Denmark was minus Russia after it was banned by the IIHF from international tournaments for that country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Czechia reached the last four and the podium for the first time on Sunday by beating Switzerland 4-2 for the bronze medal.
The Czechs were coached in Denmark by Carla Macleod of Calgary, a former Canadian defenseman.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 4, 2022.