The United States emerged victorious in a thrilling preliminary round match at the Women’s World Hockey Championship, defeating Canada 2-1 on Sunday in a rematch of the last four finals.

The USA (3-0) secured first place in Group A with one game remaining.

“Every time you lose, it gives you a little more motivation, but also new opportunities to learn,” said defender Jocelyne Larocque. “We’re going to choose to learn.”

The Americans started strong, outshooting Canada 12-6 in the first period. Lee Stecklein’s shot from the blue line gave the USA an early lead. Ann-Renée Desbiens, who finished the game with 26 saves, made a notable glove save with 65 seconds left in the first period. Megan Keller extended the USA’s lead with a rush through three Canadian players in the offensive zone, beating Desbiens.

Montreal Force forward Laura Stacey narrowed the gap for Canada early in the third period, assisted by teammate Marie-Philip Poulin. Poulin’s assist gave her six points in the tournament, the most so far.

“We learned some things about ourselves tonight, but I think we also learned a little bit about them. Hopefully, we can make the necessary adjustments,” said Troy Ryan, head coach of the Canadian women’s hockey team.

“My only complaint afterward is a small execution error. Instead of taking a split second longer to make a play, I thought we were pushing too many pucks. We just have to manage the situation better and seize the opportunities that present themselves,” Ryan continued.

Aerin Frankel made 18 saves in the American net, helping her team secure the win over their biggest rivals. “One of our messages after the game was that we need to find a way to increase our net-front presence for the next game,” said forward Blayre Turnbull. “I don’t think we were good enough in that area tonight.”

Defending champions Canada will face the Czech Republic on Monday. The USA will conclude the preliminary round on Tuesday against Switzerland. Canada is seeking its 14th world title, while the USA is aiming for its 11th.

“Fortunately, we have time to get back on track, and I think we’re going to strive to do that for our game against the Czechs because we know they’re going to come hard and they want to beat us,” said Turnbull.

SOURCE: Radio-Canada