Alex Carpenter competes at the 2019 Rivalry Series against Canada on Feb. 14, 2019 in Toronto.
The first game of the Rivalry Series between the U.S. and Canada women’s ice hockey teams saw a tight contest, with the Americans ultimately scoring the game’s only goal to clinch the victory on Tuesday.
The Series’ second installment on Thursday was quite the opposite.
A high-scoring affair practically from the first drop of the puck, Canada came back from behind twice to claim a 4-3 victory in Toronto. The series is now tied after two games in Canada, with the rubber match coming on Sunday in Detroit.
Alex Carpenter gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead just seven minutes into the game with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle with her team on the power play. Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin tied it soon after, only for Team USA’s Hannah Brandt, who assisted on the game-winning goal on Tuesday, to put her team back on top with 9:30 left to play in the period.
Canada would score the next two goals, however, both on the power play, to take a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, Canada extended its lead seven minutes into the third when Jamie Lee Rattray scored to make it 4-2.
Team USA’s Brianna Decker cut the lead to one just minutes later, but that would be as close as the Americans would get.
U.S. goalie Katie Burt stopped 20 shots for a .833 save percentage.
The Rivalry Series is the first of its kind. The U.S. drew first blood on Tuesday night in London, Ontario, and the series wraps up on Sunday on American ice with a game in Detroit. The two powerhouses of the sport, the U.S. and Canada have met in the championship of every Olympic Winter Games, world championships and Four Nations Cups dating back to 2014.
Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
