U.S. defeats Canada in overtime for title

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Frost’s Heise sets up Janecke for winning score

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United States’ Tessa Janecke celebrates after scoring a sudden death goal in overtime during Sunday’s gold medal match between Canada and United States at the Women’s Ice Hockey Championships in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. PETR DAVID JOSEK — ASSOCIATED PRESS

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CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic >> Tessa Janecke scored the winner as the United States prevailed in overtime over defending champion Canada 4-3 to win the women’s ice hockey world championship on Sunday.

Janecke struck with 2:54 left in overtime for the Americans to claim their 11th title at the worlds.

Taylor Heise set up the winning goal.

With Sarah Fillier going to the bench, Canadian defenseman Jocelyne Larocque was pressured behind the net and sent a pass up the boards, with Heise intercepting the pass at the right point inside the blue line and feeding Janecke to score into the open left side of the net.

Janecke immediately celebrated her third goal of the tournament by throwing her stick into the stands.

It was a bitter end for Larocque who became Sunday the first defender to play 200 career games for Canada, and the fifth Canadian overall.

Abbey Murphy and Heise scored a goal and had an assist, and Caroline Harvey also scored for the U.S.

Last big test

In the last major international test before the Milan Winter Games in February, the U.S. has now won two of the past three world championships, though Canada is the defending Olympic champion.

Danielle Serdachny, Jennifer Gardiner and Fillier scored for Canada which outshot the U.S. 47-30.

U.S. captain Hilary Knight recorded an assist to increase her record at the worlds to 53. She is the all-time scoring leader with 120 points. In her 15th world championship appearance, she won a record 10th gold medal.

Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin had an assist to top the scoring table at the tournament with 12 points from four goals and eight assists.

With an assist in the final, her 50th, Poulin broke Hayley Wickenheiser’s Canada record of 49. Poulin had already surpassed Wickenheiser to become the most prolific Canadian in women’s worlds history at the tournament. She has 89 points now.

Archrivals

In a classic encounter between the two archrivals, Fillier tied the game for Canada again at 3-3 with 5:48 remaining, forcing overtime.

Heise had restored a 3-2 lead for the Americans 5:27 into the final period with a wrist shot into the net on a 5-3 power play.

U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel had to be replaced by Philips 4:35 into the final period after a crash with Laura Stacey who received a penalty for charging.

Frankel made 27 saves and Philips stopped 17 shots.