Canada downs U.S. to capture 2nd straight gold medal at women's Worlds

Canada topped the United States 2-1 to win its second consecutive gold medal at the Women's World Hockey Championship in Denmark on Sunday.

Brianne Jenner dazzled for the Canadians with a two-goal performance and was named player of the game. Her second tally of the middle frame ultimately stood as the game-winner:

The U.S. bested its fierce rivals 5-2 last week in the preliminary round, but it was the Canadians who got the last laugh.

Jenner, who was named tournament MVP at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, opened the scoring from a tough angle around the midway mark of the second period. She doubled down just over a minute later on the power play.

The Canadians looked set to enter the second intermission with a two-goal lead, but Amanda Kessel found Abby Roque with a gorgeous pass on the power play with 21 seconds remaining in the period. Kendall Coyne Schofield became Team USA's all-time assist leader at the women's Worlds with an assist on the tally, according to The Athletic's Hailey Salvian.

However, that's as close as the U.S. would get thanks to a strong performance from Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens. She made 20 saves on 21 shots, and her most impressive sequence came in the final moments of the third period:

American netminder Nicole Hensley put up a strong performance of her own with 17 saves on 19 shots.

The victory marked Canada's third gold medal in just over 12 months: It beat the United States at the women's Worlds in 2021 and the 2022 Olympics.

The Canadians also took the top prize at the U18 Women's World Championship in June.