ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Megan Bozek’s power-play goal 42 seconds into overtime helped the United States rally to a 4-3 victory over Canada in the final game of this year’s Rivalry Series.
Bozek’s goal came in front of the largest crowd to watch a women’s national team game in the U.S. The game drew 13,320, surpassing the previous mark of 10,158 for a 2002 game against Canada in Detroit.
The U.S. took four of five games in the series against its rivals.
Bozek had a goal and an assist, while Emily Matheson had a pair of assists. Hilary Knight, Dani Cameranesi and Monique Lamoureux-Morando scored for the U.S., and Alex Cavallini made 17 saves.
Jill Saulnier had a goal and an assist, while Loren Gabel and Mélodie Daoust also scored for Canada. Geneviève Lacasse made 26 saves.
Both teams scored their first goal 24 seconds apart in the first period. Hilary Knight opened the scoring at 2:37 with a deflection of Megan Bozek’s shot from the point. Knight finished as the leading goal-scorer in the series with three and tied for the most U.S. points with four.
Canada quickly tied it with Saulnier’s shot from slot off a pass from Rebecca Johnston.
Canada grabbed a 2-1 advantage with 3:28 remaining in the first when Gabel finished a two-on-one by beating Cavallini on her glove side. Cameranesi evened it with 1:36 left with a shot that got past Lacasse on her short side.
Daoust put Canada back on top 2:56 into the second period with a backhand from in front of the net. The goal was set up when Jessie Eldridge forced a turnover behind the U.S. net and fed it to Daoust.
The U.S. tied it up nine minutes into the third when Lamoureux-Morando deflected in Emily Matheson’s shot from the point.
NOTES: Alex Carpenter also had four points in the series for the U.S. (two goals, two assists). ... Annie Pankowski, who grew up in Laguna Hills, California, and played in the Ducks girls youth hockey programs, had an assist on Lamoureux-Morando’s goal. ... The U.S. outscored Canada 15-9 in the series.