USA women's hockey shuts out Canada in 'prideful' exhibition win
· Yahoo Sports
PLYMOUTH — Well, it seems like the USA women's hockey team is ready to defend its IIHF Women's World Championship.
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Team USA pulled away after scoring three goals in a dominant second period, taking home a 4-0 victory in its exhibition match against Canada on Friday, Oct. 30.
Forwards Tessa Janecke, Joy Dunne, and Kirsten Simms all scored during that pivotal second period, with Laila Edwards being credited for assists on the goals by Dunne and Simms.
It was a lively sellout crowd at USA Hockey Arena, with 3,525 attendees coming out for the second and last exhibition for Team USA. The biggest cheers from lineup introductions were for captain Hilary Knight, who will play for Detroit's PWHL team, and Bloomfield Hills native Megan Keller.
Team USA had lost the previous exhibition to Canada, 5-3, on Wednesday, Oct. 28 in Windsor, Ontario. It was the first time the two teams had played each other since the gold-medal game in the 2026 Winter Olympics, but it didn't feel like a regular exhibition as things got chippy.
There were 15 total infractions called during the contest. Canada went 0-for-6 on power-play opportunities while Team USA took advantage and went 2-for-5 after not scoring on any of their three power plays on Wednesday.
"I think everyone's always looking at U.S. and Canada, right? And so when two dueling nations of our stature get on the ice, it's a really prideful game," Knight told The Detroit News after the game.
"But, some awesome reps for us to grow and evolve as a team, and looking forward to getting into tournament play and really being able to continue to push the envelope as a group."
This final exhibition game closes a week of training for the national team in Michigan, as the 31 players invited for training camp will be trimmed to 25 chosen to represent the team in Denmark for the world championship.
The U.S. outshot Canada 32-13 in this exhibition. It looks similar to Wednesday's contest, where Team USA put up 26 shots to Canada's 19, but the effort and end result looked different. The tone was set early as even though the first period ended scoreless, USA outshot Canada 10-2 in a fast-paced start to the game.
"There's a mental checklist, and we're becoming more and more aware of that as a group of what that looks like," USA head coach John Wroblewski said.
Of course, Wroblewski, a Wisconsin native, couldn't help but make comparisons to the 2026 World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers when asked about "playing the right way." He said the phrase "doesn't nearly come close to encapsulating how difficult it is to dominate at the highest level or compete at the highest level," which is a standard that this team has created.
Team USA opened up scoring just 57 seconds into the second period, as Caroline Harvey's shot got blocked but Janecke hit the rebound toward the top-right corner for the goal. Harvey and Abby Murphy were credited with the assist.
Just moments later with 15:20 left in second period, Dunne wrapped around the back of the net and snuck a shot right below Canadian goaltender Ève Gascon's reach for the second goal in under five minutes.
Team USA continued scoring during power-play opportunities. Simms took a pass from Rory Guilday and hit it top shelf into the net with two seconds left in the power play, giving USA a commanding 3-0 lead with 4:09 left in the second period.
Hannah Bilka joined the scoring right to begin the third period, rebounding a shot from Harvey and sneaking hers in past Gascon for the fourth and final goal.
While Aerin Franklin looks to be named as the main goalkeeper for the world championship tournament, Gywneth Philips looked comfortable behind a strong effort from her teammates, even keeping calm during a five-on-three opportunity from the Canadians.
"The girls in front of me, they'll sell out to make those blocks, and that means a lot to me," Philips said. "Then I try and pitch in return. But not a lot of shots, and I think that just shows how strong (our defense) was.
"It was just really great to see a full 200-foot effort."
This was the final tune-up for the team before the Women's World Championship takes place from Nov. 6-16, where both Team USA and Canada seemed primed to meet each other yet again in the finals.
"I think we're just scratching the surface of what we're capable of right now, which is really exciting," Knight said. "We'll see what other teams give us in the tournament as well."
Kameron Goodwill is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: USA women's hockey shuts out Canada in 'prideful' exhibition win