USA Women's Hockey Dominates Canada in Rivalry Series

The Americans clinch the 2025 Rivalry Series with a commanding 10-4 victory, raising questions about the future balance of power in women's hockey.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 3:51am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, geometric shapes and colors, depicting the dynamic action and energy of a women's hockey game between the USA and Canada national teams.The intense rivalry between the USA and Canada women's hockey teams is captured in a cubist-inspired illustration, reflecting the high-stakes competition and shifting balance of power between the two powerhouse programs.Cleveland Today

In a stunning display of dominance, the USA women's hockey team has clinched the 2025 Rivalry Series against Canada, winning three consecutive games and outscoring their rivals 26-10 over the five-game stretch. The Americans' balanced scoring attack and strong goaltending from Gwyneth Philips proved too much for Canada, who struggled to keep up despite a valiant effort. This victory marks the U.S. team's first series win over Canada since 2019-20, and it has sparked a debate about whether this is the start of a new era in women's hockey or just a temporary shift in the balance of power between the two powerhouse programs.

Why it matters

The rivalry between the USA and Canada women's hockey teams is one of the most intense in all of sports. With both nations vying for Olympic gold, this series serves as a crucial barometer of their relative strengths heading into the 2026 Winter Games in Milan. Canada has historically dominated the Americans, winning five Olympic gold medals to the U.S.'s two, but the recent dominance by the U.S. team raises questions about whether the balance of power is shifting in women's hockey.

The details

In the three-game series, the USA outscored Canada 26-10, including a commanding 10-4 victory in the final game in Edmonton. Gwyneth Philips was stellar in net for the Americans, making 30 saves, while eight different U.S. players scored goals, led by Kelly Pannek and Abbey Murphy with two each. Canada's Sophie Jaques and Julia Gosling scored for the home team, but their efforts weren't enough to overcome the Americans' balanced attack and strong special teams, which went 2-for-3 on the power play.

  • The 2025 Rivalry Series took place in March and April 2025, with the final game played on April 9, 2025 in Edmonton, Alberta.
  • The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy are scheduled for February 10-19, 2026.

The players

Gwyneth Philips

The starting goaltender for the USA women's national hockey team, who made 30 saves in the final game of the 2025 Rivalry Series.

Kelly Pannek

A forward for the USA women's national hockey team, who scored two goals in the final game of the 2025 Rivalry Series.

Abbey Murphy

A forward for the USA women's national hockey team, who scored two goals and recorded four points in the final game of the 2025 Rivalry Series.

Sophie Jaques

A defenseman for the Canada women's national hockey team, who scored two goals in the final game of the 2025 Rivalry Series.

Julia Gosling

A forward for the Canada women's national hockey team, who scored one goal in the final game of the 2025 Rivalry Series.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to work hard and improve if we want to regain our dominance over the Americans. This series has shown us that we have more work to do, but I'm confident in our team's ability to regroup and come back stronger.”

— Ann-Renee Desbiens, Goaltender, Canada Women's National Hockey Team

“Our team's depth and balanced scoring attack were key factors in our success. We're playing with a lot of confidence right now, but we know the real test will come at the Olympics. We're excited for the challenge ahead.”

— Kendall Coyne Schofield, Forward, USA Women's National Hockey Team

What’s next

The USA and Canada women's hockey teams will meet again on February 10, 2026 in the preliminary round of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The gold-medal game is scheduled for February 19, 2026.

The takeaway

This series has reignited the long-standing rivalry between the USA and Canada women's hockey teams, with the Americans asserting their dominance and raising questions about the future balance of power in the sport. As both teams gear up for the 2026 Olympics, the stakes have never been higher, and hockey fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this storied rivalry.