Megan Keller Makes History in Women’s Hockey
Megan Keller has made her mark in the annals of American sports.
The U.S. women’s hockey defender emerged as the key player during a thrilling 2-1 win against Canada in the gold medal match on Thursday.
At 29, Keller executed a long pass from Taylor Heise right before crossing into the offensive zone, maneuvered around Canadian defender Claire Thompson, and sent a backhand shot flying past goalie Anne-Renee Desbiens.
It was undeniably a golden goal.
“I’m just at a loss for words,” Keller expressed to reporters afterward. “This feeling is unreal. I care deeply about these girls. This team really deserves this. Our efforts and faith over these four years have been something special.”
This moment might be the pinnacle of her career.
College Achievements
Originally from Michigan, Keller played for Boston University after winning a silver medallion at the 2014 IIHF U18 World Championship.
As soon as she joined the team in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, her influence was felt within the Hockey East program.
By the end of her NCAA career (2014-19), she topped the program amongst defensemen with 45 goals, 113 assists, and a total of 158 points.
2026 Winter Olympics
She led the Eagles to three Frozen Four appearances and one national title runner-up finish back in 2016.
Keller has also been honored with the Cami Granato Award for the best player in Hockey East twice, has been named an AHCA-CCM Women’s Collegiate Division I All-American in 2016-17, and was a finalist for both the Top 10 and the Patty Kazmaier Award during her senior year.
International and Professional Career
Keller took a break from Boston College in the 2017-18 season to represent Team USA at the Olympics, where they secured their first gold medal in two decades.
During her time there, she recorded two assists, followed by four more during the 2022 Winter Olympics, where the U.S. finished as runners-up to Canada.
This time around, she made an impressive impact, scoring 3 goals and adding 9 points overall, which included a goal and an assist during the gold medal game, placing her at the top of the U.S. scoring leaderboard.
Upon returning to the States, she captained the PWHL’s Boston Fleet, tallying five goals and six assists before the Olympic break.
Keller was also a finalist for the PWHL Defender of the Year award in 2024.
