The United States women’s hockey team once again found itself tested in a big way by their opponents, but they were still able to fight off Finland and advance to the gold medal game at the Beijing Olympics with a 4-1 victory.
Cayla Barnes scored her first career Olympic goal, and Hilary Knight scored her fifth goal in Beijing in the victory. Alex Cavallini gave up a late goal for the United States, but she still earned her third victory of the tournament.
Savannah Harmon and Hannah Brandt both picked up assists, as did team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield.
Susanna Tapani scored a late goal for Finland, her fifth goal of the Olympics.
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The win means that the United States will face Canada in the gold medal game, marking the fourth Olympics in a row that the two countries have squared off in that contest.
After a scoreless first period, the American squad got on the board early in the second period. On the power play, the United States cycled the puck around the zone, and Brandt ultimately found Barnes wide open on the side of the net for an easy goal, putting the Americans up 1-0 just under four minutes into the period.
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Late in the same period, the United States got a key insurance goal from one of the most decorated players in team history. Standing near the face-off circle, Knight got the puck on her stick from Harmon and she rifled a shot past Anni Keisala to make it a 2-0 game with a minute to go in the period.
In the third period, the U.S. withstood several surges from Finland, but the Americans added another insurance goal to the tally late, as a Barnes shot was deflected home by Hayley Scamurra to give her team a 3-0 lead.
After Tapani scored late to make it 3-1, Abby Roque added an empty-netter in the closing seconds, giving the United States a 4-1 victory.
The United States and Canada played during the preliminary round, with the Canadian squad earning a 4-2 victory over the Americans.
In the previous meetings in the gold medal game, Canada captured the top prize in 2010 and 2014, while the Americans won the gold in 2018 with a shootout victory in PyeongChang.
Puck drop for the game is set for 10:10 p.m. Central time Wednesday.
