US Women's Hockey to Face Canada for Gold

- This gold medal match marks the seventh time in the last eight Winter Olympics that the U.S. and Canada have faced each other for the title. Historically, Canada has had the upper hand, winning four of those previous six gold medal encounters. - The United States enters the final with significant momentum, currently on a seven-game winning streak against Canada. This streak includes a decisive 5-0 victory during the preliminary round of this tournament, which was the first time in Olympic history that the Canadian women's team has been shut out. - In their preliminary round meeting, Canada was without their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, who was sidelined with an injury. Poulin has since returned and recently broke the all-time Olympic goal-scoring record for Canada. - Team USA has been dominant throughout the tournament, outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-1 leading into the final. U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel has set an Olympic record with three shutouts in the tournament and has not allowed a goal in 331 minutes and 23 seconds of play. - While Canada holds the edge in Olympic golds with five to the USA's two, the Americans won the most recent IIHF Women's World Championship, defeating Canada in overtime. - The U.S. team's offense has been led by younger players, with defender Caroline Harvey leading the entire tournament in points and forward Hannah Bilka being a top goal scorer. For the U.S., veteran Hilary Knight is competing in her fifth Olympics. - This rivalry is incredibly close historically, with Canada leading the all-time head-to-head record with 106 wins to the United States' 87. - Many athletes on both rosters are teammates in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), adding another layer of personal competition to the international rivalry.