RivCo Olympian, Team USA Women's Hockey, Earns Gold In 2026 Winter Olympics

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County city of Eastvale is celebrating along with the rest of the United States as favorite daughter Cayla Barnes, a three-time Olympian — 2018, 2022 and 2026— has won the gold medal along with the rest of Team USA in the 2-1 overtime defeat of Team Canada.

During the gold medal game, played Thursday, Canada dominated the ice until the last few minutes of regulation. Hilary Knight, team captain for team USA, scored to send the game to overtime. Megan Keller scored in overtime to seal the win and the medal.

For Canada, Kristin O'Neill scored the only goal, shorthanded, in the second period of regulation play, a lead they hung onto until the end of the third period.

Barnes adds her new Olympic gold medal to her two other medals she earned in her Olympic journey: a gold from the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang and a silver from the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. to that total, a gold medal in the Milan Cortina's 2026 winter Olympic games.

"Professionally, Barnes plays in the PWHL for the Seattle Torrent alongside Team USA teammates Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter, who also joined the Torrent for their inaugural season," according to her biography. "Off the ice, Barnes enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, swimming and tubing."

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