Silver for Chu, the U.S.: Canada wins women’s hockey

One more Olympic heartbreak for Fairfield’s Julie Chu. Canada came back from two goals down in the final 3:26 and beat the United States 3-2 in overtime in Sochi on Marie-Philip Poulin’s five-on-three power-play goal.

The United States won gold in 1998, the first time women’s hockey was contested at the Olympics. Canada has won the past four. Chu and the United States have medaled in all four, three silvers and a bronze.

A wacky exchange of penalties out of the four-on-four in overtime set up the winner. The U.S. had a few early scoring chances, and Anne Schleper was knocked down by Canadian defenseman Catherine Ward 6:09 into overtime. But then Jocelyne Lamoureux was called for a slash off the draw, looking for a rebound in Shannon Szabados’ pads. A minute and 16 seconds into the long three-on-three, Hilary Knight was called for a cross-checking minor after tangling up Canadian legend Hayley Wickenheiser on what would’ve been a breakaway.

That gave Canada a four-on-three power play (though it could’ve easily been a penalty shot — and maybe could’ve just as easily been no penalty). A second after Ward got out of the box to make it five-on-three, Poulin scored her second goal to win it at 8:10.

Brianne Jenner banked a pass off American defenseman Kacey Bellamy and in with 3:26 to play. Poulin tied it with 54.6 seconds left; U.S. goalie Jessie Vetter tried to knock Rebecca Johnston’s centering pass away, but she left it right in front for the driving Poulin.

Chu set a screen on Meghan Duggan’s goal that opened the scoring just past the game’s midpoint, driving to the net off a Canadian turnover; Alex Carpenter added a power-play goal in the second to make it 2-0.

Michael Fornabaio