ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE — Defenders Lee Stecklein and Megan Keller scored for the United States in a 2-1 win over Canada at the women’s world hockey championship Sunday.
The U.S. (3-0) secured first in Pool A with a game remaining against Switzerland on Tuesday.
Canada (2-1) concludes Pool A against host Czechia (1-2) on Monday.
Laura Stacey scored Canada’s lone goal.
American goalie Aerin Frankel stopped 18 shots for the win. Canada’s Ann-Renee Desbiens made 26 saves in the loss.
The tournament’s top five seeds in Pool A and the top three in Pool B advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals.
The U.S. will meet the third seed in Pool B. If Canada prevails over the Czechs, the defending champions would face Pool B’s second seed.
Finland (1-2) held down third in Pool A after a win over the Czechs and the Swiss were 0-2.
Sweden (3-0) secured first in Pool B on Sunday with a 2-0 blanking of Japan (2-1) ranked ahead of Germany (1-1), Norway (1-2) and Hungary (0-3).
The women’s championship will revert to “snake seeding” of its pools in 2026 to match the men’s under-20 and men’s and women’s under-18 championships.
Canada seeks its 14th world title and the United States its 11th.
Canada defeated the U.S. 6-5 in overtime in last year’s final after losing 1-0 in OT to the Americans in the preliminary round in Utica, N.Y.
The U.S. won foot races to the puck, distributed it quicker, harassed Canada breaking out of its own zone and led 2-0 heading into the third period Sunday.
Canada’s Stacey halved the deficit at 6:50. After Frankel rebuffed Stacey on a first breakaway late in the second period, Stacey solved the U.S. goalie on a second try putting a forehand between Frankel’s pads.
But a moment of porous Canadian defence allowed Keller to skate into four red jerseys and get a shot away that beat Desbiens glove side at 12:22 of the second period.
Canada gave up its first goal of the tournament midway through the period.
A half-minute after an illegal-hit penalty to Canada’s Emma Maltais expired, Stecklein wafted a high shot from just inside the blue-line over Desbiens’ shoulder for a power-play goal at 10:36.
Poulin’s assist on Stacey’s goal for her 47th all-time at the world championship put Canada’s captain two back of Hayley Wickenheiser’s tournament record (49).
U.S. forward Kendall Coyne Schofield collected her 48th assist on Stecklein’s goal to sit one back of Wickenheiser.
Laila Edwards, last year’s tournament MVP as a U.S. forward, has been moved to defence in this tournament.
Defender Claire Thompson drew back into Canada’s lineup for Micah Zandee-Hart, who sat out alongside forward Julia Gosling and goaltender Eve Gascon.
Kirsten Simms, who scored the OT winner in the preliminary round in Utica, was among the U.S. scratches.
Hockey Canada announced Sunday that Sydney and Membertou, N.S., will host the 2026 world women’s under-18 hockey championship in January.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2025.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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