Canada’s women’s hockey team drops pre-Olympic exhibition opener to U.S.

QUEBEC – Canada’s women’s hockey team opened its pre-Olympic exhibition schedule with a 5-2 loss to the United States on Sunday.

Brianna Decker scored twice for the U.S. at Quebec City’s Videotron Centre. Hilary Knight, Annie Pankowski and Alex Carpenter also scored.

Meghan Agosta and Jillian Saulnier had Canada’s goals.

Canada, the defending Olympic champions, play a total of six exhibition games against the reigning silver-medallist Americans before the Pyeongchang Games in February. They meet next on Wednesday night in Boston.

The teams also play Dec. 3 in St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 5 in Winnipeg, Dec. 15 in San Jose, Calif., and Dec. 17 in Edmonton.

The Americans will also host the annual Four Nations Cup next month. The tournament runs Nov. 5-12 in Tampa, Fla., and includes Canada, Sweden and Finland.

Canada has won four straight Olympic gold medals in women’s hockey, but the U.S. has claimed seven of the last eight world championships.