For the ninth time this fall, the U.S. and Canada took measure of each other on the ice Wednesday night. But after their pre-Olympic series ends Friday in Ottawa, the cold war between the reigning superpowers in women's hockey promises to rage on.

Canada trumped the Americans again in a 2-1 victory at Xcel Energy Center despite a spirited effort by the U.S. before a partisan crowd announced at 6,813. Canada has won six of the past seven games between the teams and is 6-3 against the United States this fall. The next time the two meet could be in the Olympic gold-medal game in Vancouver, and there will be plenty of maneuvering over the next six weeks.

One of the most intense rivalries in women's sports just keeps getting hotter, particularly since the U.S. beat Canada to win the past two world championships. Wednesday's game proved again how closely matched they are, and both teams will be seeking any edge they can get during their final Olympic preparations.

"We won't see them for two months, and a lot can happen between now and then,'' U.S. defenseman Angela Ruggiero said. "We still have a lot in the tank. We definitely haven't shown all of our cards. To me, it's exciting that we're getting better.''

Wednesday's game launched the next phase of the Olympic trail for the U.S. team. The final Winter Games roster was named Dec. 17, and with the anxiety about making the team out of the way, coach Mark Johnson is beginning to sharpen his players' focus.

The Americans gave up an early goal when Haley Irwin tipped a shot past goalie Molly Schaus, but they grew stronger and more aggressive as the game wore on. After being outshot 14-9 in the first period, they peppered goalie Charline Labonte with 32 shots in the final 40 minutes, while Canada managed only 13.