The rivals are competing in a three-game series this week in Lake Placid and were playing their second games in as many nights.

The action kicked off with the Under-18 teams battling it out, and the matchup couldn’t have ended in a much more dramatic fashion with the Americans pulling out a 3-2 victory in overtime to even their series with Canada at a win apiece. The U22 squads then took to the ice and the U.S. came out on top again, knocking off Canada 4-2 in the nightcap to go up 2-0 in their series.

The U.S. U18 players came ever so close to falling for the second night in a row to their rivals after Canada broke 1-1 deadlock on a goal with 49 seconds remaining in regulation. But their backs to the wall, the Americans came through when Abbey Murphy scored with just two ticks left on the third-period clock to send the game into sudden death. Murphy, of Evergreen Park, Illinois, then went on to net her second of the evening, scoring 1:32 into overtime to clinch the 3-2 triumph for the U.S.

The U.S. nearly doubled Canada in shots on goal, but the advantage on the scoreboard belonged to the Canadians for much of the game. After a scoreless opening period, Canada took a 1-0 edge on a goal by Ann-Frederik Naud 7:43 into the second period, and the lead held up until Daniel Burgen buried the equalizer for the U.S. at the 6:17 mark of the third period. The teams then played scoreless hockey from there and it looked like the matchup could be heading to overtime until Canada’s Maddie Wheeler rattled a shot off a post and into the net past U.S. goalie Amanda Thiele.

Hannah Bilka of the United States lifts the game-winning shot past Canadian goalie Kelsey Roberts late in the third period of Thursday’s under-22 matchup at the Olympic Center. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

After Wheeler’s goal, things did not look promising for the Americans, as Canada kept them pinned deep in their defensive zone with the clock winding down. Unable to pull Thiele from the net, the U.S. finally got a break when Murphy skated the puck across Canada’s blue line and drew a penalty with eight ticks left in the third. After a time out, and with a 6-on-4 advantage, the Americans took their final shot at tying the game, and it paid off. The play started when Lacey Eden won the draw in the right faceoff circle, teammate Lyndie Lobdell wound up with the puck, and sent a pass across the crease. Standing all alone on the left side of the goal, Murphy gained control and simply tapped the puck into a wide open net for the game-tying tally.

The contest then went to a five-minute overtime where each team skated 3-on-3. Canada, however, found itself in penalty trouble again, which allowed the U.S. to put another attacker on the ice. The Americans took full advantage of another break when Murphy buried her second huge goal in less than two minutes, rocketing a slapshot past Canadian netminder Jessie McPherson for the game-winner.

The Americans finished with a 35-20 edge in shots on goal. Thiele finished with 18 stops in goal for the U.S. and McPherson recorded 32 saves.

For the second night in a row, Hannah Bilka came through in the clutch for the U.S. women’s U22 team. After lifting the Americans to a 4-2 victory over Canada with her overtime goal on Wednesday, Bilka, a forward from Coppell, Texas, buried her second game-winner on Thursday, breaking a 2-2 tie on a tally with 4:50 remaining in the third period. Now holding a 3-2 lead, the U.S. went on to add an insurance goal when Sydney Brodt scored late in the game.

The contest was tied 1-1 heading into the third period, and that’s when the U.S. took over, outscoring Canada 3-1 down the stretch to clinch their series in Lake Placid.

Ella Shelton netted the only goal of the first period to put Canada on top, and Presley Norby answered for the U.S., scoring the lone goal of the second stanza to set up a final 20 minutes of hockey that saw the Americans make their opponent pay for numerous turnovers.

Natalie Snodgrass gave the Americans a 2-1 edge 2:31 into the third period after Canada coughed the puck up near center ice and Dominique Petrie gained control for the U.S. Petrie forwarded a pass to Snodgrass, who wristed a shot past Canadian goalie Kelsey Roberts. Canada got the next goal when Ashton Bell scored at the 6:40 mark to forge a 2-2 tie.

Roberts then came up big in nets for Canada, stopping two breakaways that would have handed the lead back to the Americans. Bilka, however, ended that run when she broke in on the left wing and top-shelved a shot into the short side of the net over the shoulder of Roberts 15:10 into the period.

Brodt then sealed the deal with 1:27 remaining, ripping a shot from the slot off the post and into the net.

Outplayed early, the U.S. wound up out shooting Canada 26-22, which included an 11-5 advantage in shots on goal in the third period. Aerin Frankel made 20 saves to earn the win between the pipes for the U.S.

The U.S. and Canadian teams will wrap up their series on Saturday at the Olympic Center. The U18 teams will start things off at 4 p.m. with the U22 contest slated to follow at 7 p.m.