Canada completes reverse sweep of U.S. in Game 7 of Rivalry Series for 2nd straight year

Natalie Spooner and Emma Maltais each scored twice, Ann-Renee Desbiens made 24 saves and Canada routed the United States 6-1 on Sunday in Saint Paul, Minn., the decisive seventh game of the Rivalry Series.

Marie-Philip Poulin and Ashton Bell also scored for Canada and Sarah Nurse added three assists. It's the second straight Rivalry Series in which the United States won the first three games, only to see Canada storm back and win four straight.

"I think it speaks volumes to how much we're sticking to our game, even when we're down and facing adversity," Maltais said. "I think today it showed a lot of character and we're just going to keep moving forward."

WATCH l Canada thumps U.S. in Game 7:

The series kicked off in November with two U.S. victories in Tempe, Ariz., and Los Angeles. The teams split a pair of games in Ontario in December, with Canada winning the fourth game in a shootout. Then, Canada won two straight last week in Saskatchewan.

"The Canada-U.S. games are always exciting games and the games you get up for," Spooner said. "Obviously, knowing that we were down in the series, every game was do-or-die for us. Game 7, this was like our gold-medal game, our Super Bowl, so we were just excited for the game."

WATCH l Canada ties Rivalry Series with 3rd straight win:

"It didn't feel like the momentum ever once swung our way. But we have to earn that momentum swing and I don't think we did that," U.S. veteran Kendall Coyne Schofield said. "Any time you put on that red, white, and blue you've got to execute better."

Canada opened the scoring on its first power play. Hensley stopped Spooner's shot and made a sprawling save at the left post to deny Brianne Jenner on the rebound. But Hensley failed to cover the