Canada took the early lead in the opening period, scoring just 3:14 in. However, the U.S. tallied the equalizer with 33 seconds left in the frame when Dunne skated end-to-end and roofed a backhand shot top right corner.

In the second stanza, the U.S. notched the go-ahead goal at the 15-minute mark when Alex Woken (Fargo, N.D./Shattuck-St. Mary’s) at the left half wall passed to Alyssa Gorecki (Monee, Ill./Chicago Mission) standing between the hash marks, and she one-timed a shot between the pads of Canadian goaltender Marlene Boissonnault. Canada rallied and evened the game at two just 3:28 later.

The 2-2 score stood through a third period filled with end-to-end action, including another Dunne scoring chance that was kept out only by the knob of Boissonnault’s stick, sending the game to overtime. The U.S. outshot Canada 40-18 in regulation.

Team USA started the extra frame on the power play. Following a Canadian clear, Melissa Samoskevich (Sandy Hook, Conn./Shattuck-St. Mary’s) carried the puck back into the offensive zone, dropped it back to Abby Roque (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich./Sault Area High School) at the point who skated to the left half wall. Roque passed to Rebecca Gilmore (Wayland, Mass./Assabet Valley) at the left point, who then passed over to Dunne at the right point. Dunne skated into the top of the right circle and snapped a wrist shot past Boissonnault just 51 seconds into overtime to claim the gold medal for Team USA for the first time since 2011.

Notes: Jincy Dunne was named U.S. player of the game in tonight’s game. Dunne finished the tournament leading all defenseman in scoring with eight points … Kaitlin Burt, Dunne and Melissa Samoskevich were named Team USA’s top players of the tournament … The Directorate Award was presented Sarah Potomak (CAN) for Best Forward, Dunne (USA) for Best Defenseman and Valeria Tarakanova (RUS) for Best Goaltender… The 2015 Media All-Star Team includes goaltender Tarakanovav (RUS); defensemen Dunne (USA) and Micah Hart (CAN); and forwards Fanuza Kadirova (RUS), Potomak (CAN) and Samoskevich (USA). Potomak was voted the tournament’s most valuable player … This is Team USA’s first Under-18 Women’s Worlds gold since 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden. They beat Canada 5-2 to take gold that year … The U.S. outshot Canada 41-18 in tonight’s game … Team USA and Canada have met every year in the gold-medal game since the tournament’s inception in 2008.