Summary:
- Taylor Heise scored once and assisted on all three of Abbey Murphy’s goals in a 4–1 U.S. win.
- Laila Edwards notched an assist in her Cleveland homecoming and was honored with the opening faceoff.
- Goalie Aerin Frankel made 26 saves as Team USA claimed its third straight win over Canada.
Taylor Heise had a spectacular performance on Thursday night, scoring once and assisting on all three of Abbey Murphy’s goals as Team USA opened the pre-Olympic Rivalry Series with a 4–1 win over Canada.
The night, however, was special for several reasons. Cleveland native Laila Edwards picked up an assist in her hometown return, sending a shot from the right point that Heise deflected in midway through the first period.
Edwards, 21, is a forward-turned-defenseman from Cleveland Heights and made history as the first Black woman to play for Team USA.
In goal, Aerin Frankel was steady as ever, stopping 26 shots to help the Americans secure their third straight win over Canada. That streak goes back to April’s world championships in the Czech Republic, where Team USA swept the Canadians in two games, including a 4–3 overtime thriller for the gold medal.
Filler Scored for Canada
Sarah Fillier was the lone scorer for Canada, while Eve Gascon made 22 saves in her debut for the national team. The University of Minnesota-Duluth goaltender got the start as coach Troy Ryan opted for a younger roster, resting several veterans, including star goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Fillier on the power play! 💥
Fillier sur le jeu de puissance! 💥#RivalrySeries | #SérieDeLaRivalitépic.twitter.com/HhGUzNqkBf
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) November 7, 2025
Once Fillier and Heise exchanged goals just 16 seconds apart in the first, the U.S. offense caught fire. Murphy buried two quick one-timers off Heise feeds in the second period, then completed her hat trick early in the third, redirecting another Heise pass for a power-play goal.
Edwards, who is now a senior at the University of Wisconsin, is getting ready for her Olympic debut at the Milan-Cortina Games this February.
Before puck drop, she took the ceremonial opening faceoff against Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin, a proud moment coming just weeks after recovering from a left knee injury.
Her year has been remarkable, marked by an NCAA championship with the Badgers, a world championship gold medal in April, and a tournament MVP title in 2024.
The Cleveland homecoming got even sweeter when she saw a photo of former Cavaliers forward Larry Nance wearing her No. 10 Team USA jersey at an NBA game. She found out about it while having dinner with her family and Wisconsin teammate Caroline Harvey,at home.
The rivals will meet again on Saturday in Buffalo, with the four-game series wrapping up next month in Edmonton. The Americans enter the season as the reigning world champions, while the Canadians are defending their Olympic gold from Beijing 2022. If you’re in the mood for some action of your own, check out TigerGaming.com’s sports bets before the next puck drop.
