Two of the five goals scored by the US in the first period were scored by senior Lacey Eden of Wisconsin. The US beat Canada 7-2 on Wednesday night in the first game of the Rivalry Series.
Canada beat the US in the IIHF Women’s World Championships in April, which was the last time these two teams played each other.
But Team USA kept winning the Rivalry Series. They won the first game for the fifth time in a row, giving them a 9-3-3-7 record total.
The US also got two goals from Abbey Murphy. Murphy, who could be the first pick in next summer’s PWHL draft, scored the game’s first goal on a one-timer off a loose puck just before a penalty ended in the middle of the first period. After a little more than a minute, Savannah Harmon, a defender, headed Grace Zumwinkle’s ball off the post and into the goal to make it 2-0.
Eden got two goals in a row later in the first half. She turned Megan Keller’s shot in front of the goal into the net for a 3-0 lead. Then she hit Kristen Campbell with a shot from a tough angle that went off her pads and into the net.
With 24.9 seconds left in the first quarter, Kirsten Simms stole the ball and passed it to Alex Carpenter, who scored a backhand goal to give Team USA a 5-0 lead.
Hannah Bilka scored early in the second period while she had the power play, beating backup goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens to make the score 6-0. To end the game, Murphy got her second goal 90 seconds into the third.
Blayre Turnbull and Sarah Nurse both scored late in the second period to make it 0-2.
The fifth game of the series will be played in Salt Lake City on Friday. The third game will be played in Boise, Idaho, on Sunday. The next game will be in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on February 6.