UTICA, N.Y. — The Canada—USA rivalry has been ongoing for decades now. But they’ve never played each other quite like they did on Monday night.
“That might be one of the fastest and most physical games we’ve played against them ever,” Canadian defender Renata Fast said on Wednesday afternoon. “It was a really fun game to be a part of.”
The game was much more entertaining than a 1-0 score would suggest. It was fast-paced, each team was trading high-danger chances, there were big hits, great defensive plays, and the goalies were going save-for-save until Kirsten Simms beat Ann-Renée Desbiens in overtime.
The way the game was played can be credited to a few things. First and foremost, it’s the best rivalry in the sport. There’s also a ton of elite young talent on both teams now (from Simms to Caroline Harvey on the U.S., and Sarah Fillier and Danielle Serdachny on Canada) that are pushing the pace. And of course, there’s the start of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
“I think we kind of knew that was going to happen,” said Canadian forward Jamie Lee Rattray. “Now that we have the PWHL, we’re coming into events at the top of our game.”
It’s been a common takeaway from the start of the 2024 women’s world championship: That the PWHL, three…
