U.S. feels Decker absence in loss to Canada

BEIJING (AP) — The United States may have lost the gold medal 10 minutes into the Olympics.

Two weeks before facing Canada in the women's hockey final, the Americans watched first-line center and arguably their best player, Brianna Decker, get stretchered off the ice with a broken leg early in the tournament opener.

Try as they might to fill the gaping hole in their lineup, missing Decker proved to be too much to overcome in a 3-2 loss to the Canadians in the gold-medal game Thursday.

“I think that we did a good job coming back with it and sticking together as a team,” said winger Amanda Kessel, whose goal with 13 seconds left was part of a frantic finish. “But it definitely didn’t help us, and we definitely missed her out there.”

Replacement Abby Roque couldn't cash in on the scoring chances that Decker might have. Even though Hilary Knight scored her sixth goal in Beijing and Kessel made things interesting in the final minute, the top-end talent for Canada came through in the clutch.

With Decker watching on the glass steps away from the bench, the U.S. fell short and settled for silver for a fourth time since women's hockey was introduced at the 1998 Nagano Games.

“It’s devastating. It’s heartbreaking," Knight said. “It definitely stings. It hurts. It feels like we let our country down.”

The U.S. never recovered from Decker getting tripped from behind 9:32 into the first game against Finland, breaking her left fibula and tearing ligaments in her ankle. USA Hockey opted not to bring the six-player taxi squad allowed by International Ice Hockey Federation officials in case of virus outbreaks, and potential replacement Britta Curl couldn't join because she tested positive for COVID-19 before traveling.

All of it added up