Winter Olympics recap: US beats Canada in OT for women's hockey gold medal, Stolz stunned in 1,500

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MILAN (AP) — The U.S. women's hockey team delivered an Olympic comeback for the ages by beating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday.

With her team trailing 1-0, American captain Hilary Knight forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ shot with 2:04 remaining in regulation.

Megan Keller then scored 4:07 into overtime to hand the U.S. its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

It was the seventh time the two powerhouses faced off for Olympic gold since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games. In the 2022 Beijing final, Canada beat the Americans in the final.

With the sides playing 3-on-3 in overtime, Keller broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, Keller got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens.

Kristin O’Neill scored a short-handed goal for Canada in the second period.

Earlier Thursday, Alina Muller scored the bronze medal-winning goal in overtime in Switzerland’s 2-1 victory over Sweden. It came 12 years after Muller scored the clinching goal to deliver the Swiss their first Olympic medal in women’s hockey — a bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games.

U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz’s late push wasn’t enough.

The American star settled for silver in the 1,500 meters, missing a chance to secure a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

China’s Ning Zhongyan won Thursday’s race in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds. The 21-year-old Stolz, who won gold medals in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games, crossed 0.77 seconds later.

As Stolz glided by, hands on his knees, Ning raised his country’s flag aloft with both hands and started a victory lap.

Stolz, a Wisconsin native, will participate in the mass start on Saturday.

Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, who won the 1,500 at the past two Olympics, took bronze.