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Canada got off to a fast start, peppering Carli Bekkering with shots and opening the scoring in the sixth minute on a blast from the top of the circle by Elysia Desmier. The Canadians had all sorts of other chances in the first couple of periods to widen their lead, holding a wide edge in play and shots, but Bekkering kept her team in it.
Four of the first five penalties in the game went against Canada, which killed them off without too much difficulty. However, one penalty in the last minute of the second period and then a charging call against Desmier just five seconds into the third gave the Americans a 5-on-3 advantage and they cashed in this time to tie the game - Stewart’s initial shot was stopped by Girouard, but Kelly Foley was there to put in the rebound.
Amanda Kean’s goal with 7:51 remaining in regulation put Canada back in the lead. Mallory Johnston took the original shot on a 2-on-1 rush, but Kean put in the rebound. But it took just over three minutes for the Americans to tie it back up when Taylor Steadman whacked in a loose ball from a goalmouth scramble with 4:25 to play.
Then in the last minute, with overtime looming, Dobson provided the heroics. Lindsey Wilde perfectly teed up her one-timer that beat Girouard to the glove side, as the American bench and fans in attendance erupted. An even bigger eruption came 34 seconds later when the final horn sounded, ensuring the Americans’ place in the final, and their first-ever medal in women’s ball hockey.
Reactions
Tyler Spitzer (head coach, Team Canada): We knew that the Americans would give us a very difficult game. We already had a really tough game against them in the group stage, and it was more of the same today. It was a battle today and it could have gone either way, and unfortunately we came out on the losing end. Now we need to focus on the bronze medal and we want to win it, no doubt about it.Jason Galista (assistant coach, Team USA): That was very dramatic. This is my fifth World Championship behind the bench with these ladies, and it’s been a long time coming for this, but it’s a nice win - not an easy one, though. They outworked us the first half of the game. It was a little trying at times, but we have a lot of heart on this bench, and they pulled their bootstraps up at kept at it. That power-play goal really got us going. We’ve been here (to the semi-finals) every year and we’ve never gotten over the hump, so … we’re just playing the next team.
