U.S. women beat Canada, 3-2, in final Sochi hockey tuneup

The U.S. women’s national hockey team defeated Canada, 3-2, in Toronto on Monday, the Americans’ final tuneup before the Sochi Olympic hockey tournament. It was also Team USA’s fourth straight victory over its biggest rival.

Team USA must cut two players to reach the international roster limit of three goaltenders and 18 skaters. The team that will go to Sochi will be introduced Wednesday, during the second intermission of the NHL’s nationally televised Winter Classic game. All members of the team and the coaching staff are scheduled to be in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the announcement and introductions.

Hilary Knight, Kelli Stack and Megan Bozek scored for Team USA on Monday before an enthusiastic crowd of 17,227 at the Air Canada Centre. Canada scored once in the second period and again in the third to make it close, but Team USA hung on thanks to goaltender Molly Schaus.

Here’s a link from usahockey.com that has more details on the game. And here’s a link to a story from Canada’s Globe and Mail that discusses some of the turmoil surrounding the Canadian team, whose coach resigned earlier this month and was replaced by former NHL player and coach Kevin Dineen.

Team USA won the inaugural women’s Olympic hockey tournament in 1998, but Canada has won the last three Olympic tournaments.

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