Canada looks to finish women’s hockey Rivalry Series with U.S. on high note

United States goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) makes the save on Canada's Natalie Spooner (24) as Cayla Barnes (3) defends during first period Rivalry Series action in Edmonton on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The 10 goals against were the most Canada’s national women’s team had given up to their United States rivals in one game, but Wednesday’s lopsided loss in a tune-up clash at Rogers Place isn’t dissuading the defending Olympic gold-medal winners.

Goalie Emerance Maschmeyer says she’s “confident” in her team as, together, the 2022 winners in Beijing bring a lot of experience to the ice.

“We all know each other very well; we have a lot of history together,” said Maschmeyer, a native of Bruderheim, Alta., who shared the Canadian net with fellow veteran Ann-Renee Desbiens in Wednesday’s 10-4 loss.

“We went away from (the loss) knowing what we need to work on.”

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Canada will try to win the final meeting of the four-game series on Saturday back at the downtown Edmonton arena, having lost the first three: Wednesday’s result plus the first two last month in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

The 31-year-old Maschmeyer said although Wednesday’s loss – which brought the combined score from the three games to 20-6 – was “tough to swallow,” she and her teammates have been on the other side of the Rivalry Series in years past, when they’ve come back to beat their longtime rivals from south of the border.

“(Wednesday’s loss) exposed us a lot, but I think at the end of the day, we need to compete,” Maschmeyer told reporters after Friday’s practice at Edmonton’s Downtown Community Arena. “No matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is, effort is everything, so I think tomorrow you’ll see a very hungry team and a relentless team.”

Saturday’s game will be Canada’s last tilt against the U.S. before the Milan Cortina Olympic Games in February.

With less than two months before the women’s tournament opens, questions are being raised about not only complacency, but whether the Canadians have the wherewithal to keep up with their speedier and younger U.S. rivals.

The series, which the U.S. leads 16-14, dates to the 2018-19 season, though the U.S.-Canada rivalry is one of the best in sports and plays out at world championships and Olympics as well. Both teams have huge wins.

Still, winning in February is more important to Canada’s women than November or December.

Canadian head coach Troy Ryan’s player deployment in the Rivalry Series has indicated Olympic evaluation and experimentation is as important as winning, given the time constraints he’s under. Canada started third-string goalies in its first two games of the Rivalry Series.

But Wednesday’s loss to the U.S., with the top tandem in net for the most goals Canada has ever given up to the U.S., indicates a lot of work ahead for the Canada’s women to defend their Olympic gold medal.

“We have a pretty good idea of why something like that happened,” Ryan said of Wednesday’s game. “I think the game got away from us, just not enough compete. Structurally, we looked like we broke down everywhere, and then the credit goes to the U.S. for forcing us into some of those situations, but obviously, a win after our last three games would be well received.”

There’s little runway left for Canada to hone its team game. Players will disperse after the Rivalry Series for the PWHL’s resumption Tuesday. The league doesn’t break for the Olympic Games until Jan. 28.

Canada’s first game is Feb. 5 against Finland in Milan, Italy.

Ryan said a veteran group such as his Canadian squad can manage such a situation “a little better than maybe a younger group would have.”

“The leadership group ... they’re disappointed, they’re upset, they’re frustrated, but they still have so much confidence in this group,” he said. “It’s a lot better (of a) place when you have that mindset. You can go back to work and try to tidy things up.”

The Canadians have the edge in Olympic competition, having won five gold medals to the Americans’ two (1998, 2018). The U.S., however, has closed the gap in world championship play.

Canada still leads with 13 world titles, but the U.S. has won 11, including 10 of the last 14 following a 4-3 overtime win over Canada in the gold-medal game in April.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press