Penn State women’s hockey player wins Olympic gold medal after Team USA wins in OT
After a historic rally, Penn State senior Tessa Janecke is set to return to Happy Valley with Olympic gold.
The women’s hockey forward, the first Nittany Lion to ever represent the U.S. in the sport, helped lead Team USA to a memorable 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Team Canada in overtime Thursday at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games. Janecke was on the ice when both Team USA goals were scored, including the game-winner.
Megan Keller scored the game-winning goal about 4 minutes into the 3-on-3 overtime, when she juked the defender and put the puck right between the goalie’s legs. She was on the ice with Janecke and Taylor Heise.
It is Team USA’s third overall Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey since it began in 1998. Team USA also won in 1998 and 2018.
The U.S. women’s ice hockey team entered the Gold Medal Game as the heavy favorite over Canada. But, for much of the game, it looked as if Janecke and Team USA would have to settle for silver.
The U.S. watched its Olympic-record shutout streak stopped at 352 minutes, 21 seconds, when Canada scored an unlikely shorthanded goal in the second period to seize a 1-0 lead. Despite a few close calls, Team USA couldn’t capitalize until 2:04 was left in regulation and its goalie was pulled for an advantage.
In sudden-death overtime, which pits 3-vs-3 on the ice, Keller then proved to be the hero as USA goalie Aerin Frankel finished with 30 saves.
Thanks to that effort, Janecke and Team USA will head home with the gold — and Janecke won’t have much time for rest. The Penn State senior still has the AHA tournament Feb. 27 and the NCAA tournament on March 12.
Through seven games in the Olympic tournament, Janecke finished with five assists and no goals. Although she didn’t register an assist Thursday, she still contributed in the Gold Medal Game with 24 shifts and 14:49 of total playing time. In 26 games with Penn State so far this season, she has 19 goals and 21 assists.
She was joined at the Olympics in Milan, Italy, with two Penn State teammates in Matilde Fantin (Italy) and Nicole Hall (Sweden). Penn State grad Jessica Adolfsson also represented Sweden, which lost the Bronze Medal Game to Switzerland 2-1 in overtime earlier Thursday.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 4:28 PM.
