HARTFORD, Conn. – Led by a 31-save performance from Alex Cavallini (Delafield, Wis.) and multi-point efforts from Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.), Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) and Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn.), the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Canada, 4-1, tonight in game one of the 2019-20 Rivalry Series at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The contest was part of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Team USA Winter Champions, presented by Xfinity.

"I thought everybody played well and we played at a high compete level tonight," said head coach Bob Corkum. "We managed the puck much better than we did in Pittsburgh. It was a great environment here in Hartford and we're thankful to all the fans who came out and supported us." 

Team USA will face Canada in the second game of the five-game series Tuesday (Dec. 17) at Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick. Puck drop is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on NHL Network.

Team Canada took a 1-0 lead 6:45 into the opening frame off the stick of Victoria Bach, but the U.S. tied the game just two minutes the later on the power play after Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.) fed a pass through the crease to Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich.) wristed the puck past Canadian goaltender Genevieve Lacasse.

Team USA gained a 2-1 advantage in the final moments of the middle frame when Kessel completed a tic-tac-toe play from Carpenter and Pannek and buried a close-range shot past Lacasse to give the U.S. its second power-play tally of the night.

In her U.S. Women’s National Team debut, Abby Roque (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) notched her first career goal 2:49 into the final stanza after she picked up a rebound from Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.) and backhanded a shot high over Lacasse’s shoulder to extend Team USA’s lead to 3-1.

Carpenter put away a rebound from Pannek moments later to secure a 4-1 win for the United States.

Cavallini picked up the win, stopping 31 of 32 Canada shots on goal.

NOTES: Cavallini was named the U.S. Player of the Game … Nine skaters recorded points in the victory … Team USA was 2-for-6 on the power play while Canada was 1-for-2.