The USA meets Canada in women’s hockey Wednesday (7:30 a.m., ET, NBC

The USA meets Canada in women’s hockey Wednesday (7:30 a.m., ET, NBC Sports Network)!!

Regardless of what happens, the Canadians and Americans are still expected to meet in the gold medal game on Feb. 20. But players from both teams will treat this contest like an important meeting because they hate losing to the other. Think Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees and you are getting the picture.

“Any game against Canada, whether you are playing in Timbuktu, with no one in the stands, or playing in front of 12,000 or 15,000 people, you get up for it,” said U.S. forward Monique Lamoureux.

Women’s hockey has crowned a world champion since 1990, and the USA and Canada have played in every gold medal game. The USA won the first women’s Olympic tournament in 1998, and Canada has won the next three.

The two teams met seven times in the pre-Olympic tour, and Canada won the first three games, and the USA the next four.

Both teams are 2-0 going into Wednesday’s matchup, with victories against the same two teams. The USA beat Finland 3-1, and Canada beat the Finns 3-0, although the Canada-Finland game was scoreless until almost midway through the third period.

Canada defeated the Swiss 5-0, and USA recorded a 9-0 verdict.

Source USAToday