MILAN — Megan Keller isn’t claiming that she practiced the incredible move she pulled off to score the golden goal during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games on Thursday night at the Santa Giulia Arena.
Still, her U.S. teammates were inspired.
Hilary Knight simply referred to it as “Megan Keller.”
After catching a long pass from Taylor Heise, Keller skillfully maneuvered the puck around Canadian defender Claire Thompson before sliding it past goalie Anne-Renée Desbiens, clinching a 2-1 overtime win and securing the USA’s spot on the podium.
“I just saw an opening, a little bit of space,” Keller shared, acknowledging the impressive pass from Heise. She pointed out that without their goalie, Aerin Frankel’s, stellar performance, they wouldn’t have made it this far. “I’m really proud to be part of this united team,” she added.
Some American teammates witnessed the thrilling goal live, while no other team was able to witness anything; the Americans dominated the 3-on-3 overtime.
The ice was awash with their celebration, making it nearly impossible to see the replay.
Keller mentioned the team had discussed the importance of being aggressive in overtime rather than playing it safe, noting the nerves that can creep in during such pivotal moments.
She recalled seeing herself one-on-one against a Canadian defender and thought, “Why not give it a shot?”
Kendall Coyne Schofield remarked, “I noticed as soon as she opened her hips, it was clear she was going to make a move.” Although everything unfolded quickly, she felt confident it would end in a goal.
This golden moment marked Keller’s second Olympic gold medal, adding to her earlier achievements of winning gold in 2018 and silver in 2022.
Keller, now the captain of the PWHL’s Boston Fleet in her third season, entered the Olympic break with five goals and six assists in 14 games.
Originally from Farmington, Michigan, she carved out a reputation as one of the most impactful defensemen in NCAA history during her time at Boston College.
One comment from Laila Edwards started with a mix-up, initially thinking of Connor McDavid but quickly correcting herself to mention Auston Matthews instead.
