The United States and Canada will square off once again for the Gold Medal at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships being held in Utica, N.Y., at Adirondack Bank Center. The United States reached the final by shutting out Finland 5-0, while Canada advanced by defeating Czechia 4-0.
The US and Canada will square off for the gold for the 22nd time in this Championships. Team USA has reached the gold medal game at every Women’s World Championship, 23 straight. Canada only failed to reach the final once, in 2019.
Edward’s Hat Trick Leads the US
Laila Edwards recorded a hat trick, and Aerin Frankel earned her fourth shutout of the tournament to help the U.S. Women’s National Team advance to the gold-medal game. Hannah Bilka and Savannah Harmon also scored for the Americans. One of four Americans making their tournament debuts, Edwards now has five goals to match tournament-leading teammate Alex Carpenter’s total.
Edwards has only continued to carve her name into hockey history, becoming the first Black player to play and score for the US senior women’s national team. This past March, she helped Wisconsin win the NCAA title and was one of five Badgers named to the Frozen Four all-tournament team. Chayla, her older sister by three years, is also on the Wisconsin team. Edwards was MVP of the June 2022 World U18 Championship. She missed her high school graduation ceremony to participate.
Frankel stopped all 15 shots she faced to earn her fourth shutout of the tournament, setting the record for most shutouts ever at an IIHF Women’s World Championship. She has allowed just three goals in five games this tournament, all coming on 12 shots she faced in a 5-3 win over Finland in the preliminary round.
The U.S. improved to 22-1 and a tie against the Finns in tournament play and have won 14 straight meetings since a 1-0 overtime loss in a 2008 qualifying round game.
Canada Blanks Czechia
Canada came out strong, stayed focused, and took care of business tonight, beating Czechia 4-0 and advancing to its 22nd gold-medal game in 23 Women’s Worlds events.
Jocelyne Larocque scored and had an assist in leading Canada. Her goal was the 35-year-old defender’s second in 10 world championship appearances.
Related: PWHL Standouts From 2024 Women’s World Championship
Blayre Turnbull and Sarah Fillier also scored for Canada. Laura Stacey had two assists on Saturday. Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens posted a nine-save shutout. Fillier, the 2023 tournament MVP, scored her second of the tournament at 4:40 of the third period. She redirected a sharp-angled Renata Fast pass between the Czechia’s goaltender’s pads. Emily Clark got a stick on her own rebound to score in the second period.
Clark and Larocque became Canada’s 13th and 14th players to score in the tournament.
With the win tonight, Canada’s coach Troy Ryan ties Ben Smith (USA) for the most wins all-time in Women’s Worlds play at 24.
Canada didn’t score on two power-play chances and was 1-for-16 in the tournament.
Canada met the United States in 21 of 22 world tournament finals, with the only exception in 2019, when host Finland beat Canada in the semis before losing to the U.S. in a 2-1 shootout. The Americans ended Canada’s two-year gold-medal run last year with a 6-3 win in the tournament played outside of Toronto.
One of the keys to Sunday’s Gold Medal game will be the play of the goaltenders. While the scorers for both teams are firing on all cylinders so far, it’s a big save at the right time that may be key as to which team takes home the gold. As both goaltenders stand out on the International and the PWHL stage, the Frankel-Desbiens rivalry within the rivalry is only just getting started. In the 2023 preliminary round matchup, Frankel lost the duel in a shootout but was sensational, and in the gold-medal game, she was better when she had to be and won.
Much like in this year’s preliminary game, , it may come down to the play of Frankel and Desbiens that will determine which team walks away with the Gold Medal.
