Canada downs USA to regain crown in Olympic women's ice hockey

Athletes of Canada and the United States compete during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Du Yu)

BEIJING, Feb.17 (Xinhua) -- Canadian women's ice hockey team took down the defending champion the United States 3-2 in the final to get their fifth Olympic title at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Thursday.

Canada was hungry for revenge after a 3-2 shootout defeat to the U.S. in the final of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018 and they beat the Americans 4-2 in the preliminary round in Beijing.

Canadian forward Sarah Nurse scored at 7:50, which was her fifth goal in Beijing, and 30-year-old captain Marie-Philip Poulin of Canada put the puck into the net at 15:02 to widen the lead to 2-0 in the first period.

Poulin became the only hockey player, female or male, to score in four Olympic gold medal games after she scored in the finals in Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018.

Poulin scored her sixth goal in Beijing at 29:08, before 32-year-old American forward Hilary Knight threw the puck into the net at 36:39 to cut the deficit to 3-1, which was the 2018 Olympic gold medalist's sixth goal in Beijing.

American forward Amanda Kessel scored their last goal at 59:47 in power play.

The red Maple Leaf set a new scoring record of 57 goals in seven games in the Winter Olympics.

Canada and the U.S. have won all the seven gold medals since the women's ice hockey tournament entered Winter Olympics programme in 1998.

The Canadians won the four games in the preliminary round and rolled over Sweden and Switzerland in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.

The Americans had a 3-1 win-loss record in the preliminary round and took down the Czech Republic and Finland in the quarterfinals and semifinals to book a rematch against Canada in the final. 

Sarah Fillier (R) of Canada competes during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Goalkeeper Alex Cavallini of the United States tries to make a save during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)

Goalkeeper Alex Cavallini of the United States tries to make a save during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Abby Roque (L, top) of the United States shoots during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Jocelyne Larocque (R) of Canada competes during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Jamie Lee Rattray (L) of Canada vies with Savannah Harmon of the United States during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Canada and the United States at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Athletes of Canada pose for photos during the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Athletes of Canada celebrate during the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Du Yu)

Team Canada pose for photos during the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Team Canada attend the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Team Canada attend the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Team Finland attend the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Team USA attend the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Team Canada pose for photos during the awarding ceremony for the women's ice hockey of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)