Team Canada squeaks by U.S. in women’s hockey, controversial own goal not the determining factor (but it helped)

Meghan Agosta-Marciano made a controversial own goal moot, as Team Canada's finishing kick overtook Team USA in the third period of their much anticipated Sochi 2014 women's hockey matchup.

The breakaway goal, the second of the day for the star forward Meghan Agosta-Marciano, gave Canada enough of a cushion to prevail 3-2. The game essentially was played only for pride since the North American powers are shoo-ins to meet in the gold-medal game. Ultimately, it gave Canada its first win over Team USA in five tries since Kevin Dineen took the head coaching reins in December.

The combo of two late goals — Team USA's Anne Schelper pulled one back with 1:05 to play — might have tamped down on a potential controversy. For a time during the final frame, there was the possibility another bitterly fought Canada-U.S. women's game at the Olympics would be decided by a referee's ruling on play by a goalkeeper. In the soccer semifinal at the 2012 Summer Games in London, the Americans pulled out a 4-3 extra-time win over Canada after tying the game late in regulation on a penalty kick when intimidated Norwegian referee Christina Pedersen called goalkeeper Erin McLeod for delay of game.

On Wednesday, with that wound still fresh north of the border, Canada had just pulled level at 1-1 early in the third period on an Agosta-Marciano power-play tally. Hayley Wickenheiser, the playmaker on that equalizer, took a shot that skittered around. The young American, Alex Carpenter, tried to stuff the puck into goalie Jessie Vetter's paraphernalia, only to have it scoot through Vetter's feet and into the net. An official blew her whistle before the puck crossed the line. At no point did Vetter have control of the puck.

There is no NHL-concept "intent to blow" in Olympic women's hockey; ergo, there is no "sorry, didn't mean to blow" either. Under IIHF rules, the timing of the referee's whistle is not reviewable. Sorry, America.

That goal might have figured into the final margin — as did a pinged crossbar by Team USA's Kelli Stack on the game's first shot attempt and a save Charline Labonté made on a short-handed breakaway in the second period — but it didn't directly decide it.

Had the own goal made the difference, it might have overshadowed an emerging trend for Team Canada. It was one thing to break out for three third-period goals vs. Finland on Sunday. For the second game in a row, it came up with a decisive third after being blanked for the opening 40.

Team USA set the tempo for the first period. It broke out with 2:26 left in the second when star Hilary Knight redirected Schleper's point shot by Labonté, who was flawless with 25 saves on 27 shots.

Fifty-three seconds into the third, U.S. captain Brianna Decker was booked for tripping. That gave Canada's power play, 1-for-10 in the tourney to that point, a chance to tie. Wickenheiser dished to to Agosta-Marciano for the equalizer, putting the pressure on the U.S.. The go-ahead goal came 93 seconds later.

With just more than five minutes to go, Knight's offensive blueline cough-up gifted Agosta-Marciano with a breakaway that she buried. It was the second time in three Games that Agosta-Marciano, who turned 27 on Wednesday, has had a multi-goal game on her birthday.

Canada went on to outshoot the U.S. 12-3 in the period but only 31-27 for the game, which underscores how some puck luck was with the Maple Leaf. Staying on the attack helped shield a suspect Canadian defence, which struggled with zone exits in the early potion of the each of the first two periods.

Knight and U.S. star Amanda Kessel had relatively quiet afternoons.

The U.S. has not defeated Canada at the Olympics since the 1998 gold-medal game Nagano. It has won four of the past five world championships, and in all practical reality, the women's hockey tournament has not even started.

Both will advance to the semifinals on Monday.

Canada shaded the U.S. by the same 3-2 margin in their first game at the 2013 worlds in Ottawa before the Stars & Stripes turned the tables in the gold medal game. With that in mind, the Americans' flat third period shouldn't be downplayed ahead of the anticipated rematch.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.