Medal Game Thrillers: Upset and Perfect Gold

Today was a thriller with both medal games heading to overtime. The day started with a major upset, seeing Switzerland win their first medal in 12 years, well the afternoon saw the US win their second perfect gold of 2026. 

Bronze Medal: Switzerland vs Sweden

Starting the Bronze Medal Game with Switzerland taking on Sweden. Heading into the game Sweden was heavily favored based on their dominance through the tournament, falling only to the US. Well on the other side Switzerland had struggled to find the back of the net, but the bronze medal gave Switzerland the push they needed to get past their 1 goal roadblock. 

In regulation it was a good back and forth battle, but Sweden held the edge, however in overtime Switzerland took over dominating possession and chances, leading to Alina Müeller being the hero, wasting no time getting the helmet off to begin the Swiss celebration. 

In the end of tournament awards Andrea Braendli of Switzerland won the best goaltender. Throughout the tournament, Braendli has played a major part for the Swiss, especially in the Quarterfinals, locking down the backend to walk away with a 1-0 win and the Bronze Medal Game was no different, with the game going to overtime. 

Gold Medal: USA vs Canada 

Heading into the afternoon the biggest rivalry hit the biggest stage in a battle for Gold. The US was favored entering the matchup after their dominant performance throughout the tournament with over 5 goals in every game and only 1 goal allowed. Canada entered the game looking to defend Gold, after winning at the 2022 Beijing Games. 

This was the seventh time the teams have met in the Gold Medal Game dating back to 1998 when the sport was introduced to the Olympics. Since then only Canada and the USA have won Gold in the event. 

After a scoreless first period, the Canadians came out on fire with Kristen O’Neill scoring the first goal less than a minute into the second period. O’Neill was headed for a line change, but decided to ride it out with Laura Stacey, which paid off massively, giving the Canadians the first lead of the game, ending the US shutout streak at 352:17. The USA continued pushing to comeback and get on the board but Ann-Renée Desbiens wasn’t letting up, locking the US out of the second period. 

The third period was a hard fought battle on both ends of the ice, but neither team was letting up. With just over 2 minutes remaining, doubts started creeping in about the US coming back, but it was none other than Captain Hilary Knight as the hero putting the US on the board, taking over the US women’s all-time scoring record, with 15 Olympic goals. Neither side was able to find the finish in regulation, sending the game to overtime. 

In overtime, the USA dominated most of the play, interrupting Canada, anytime they tried to break away. It didn’t take long for the US to end the game, with Taylor Heise playing the puck back to Megan Keller, who took it to the net by herself to find the game winner, as the bench and fans erupted. 

In the end of tournament awards it was Wisconsin senior Caroline Harvey piling up the awards winning Best Defender and MVP honors. In the tournament Harvey led the US with 2 goals and 7 assists. She ended the tournament with the best plus/minus at +14 and led the tournament in points and assists. 

For Canada it was Marie-Philip Poulin being honored as the Best Forward. In the tournament Poulin scored 3 goals playing through a knee injury sustained in the preliminary round. Well, she hasn’t stated either way there is lots of speculation and assumptions this was her last Olympics, but she has continued to show up throughout her career, and not getting the result she wanted to end her Olympic career, may push her to fight for the 2030 Games in France. 

Tournament Takeaways 

This year’s tournament saw a lot of growth across teams, showcasing the growth of women’s hockey and sports across the world. After being left out of a lot of conversations Italy and Germany emerged as their own powerhouses, showing no one is ever truly out of the fight. As the game and representation continues to grow expect to see fiercer competition as new stars emerge around the world. From history making moments to emerging teams this year’s Games was one for the books. 

Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming coverage as the stars return to the NCAA and PWHL. To get the latest updates and news sent straight to your inbox subscribe to our newsletter here: