DETROIT -- The first Rivalry Series -- a three-game exhibition between the U.S. and Canadian women's hockey teams -- could not have started any better for the Americans. Goaltender Alex Rigsby made 33 saves, Hilary Knight scored the lone goal and the U.S. blanked Canada, 1-0 in a sold-out arena in London, Ontario, full of Canadians fans.
But the Americans dropped a high-scoring second game, and by the finale in Detroit, Team USA's flaws were exposed. Defensive lapses meant two early Canadian goals, the transition game struggled and, despite a late push, the U.S. lost 2-0 in the final game.
"The hardest part?" Rigsby said. "You come off a loss and now we have to wait another six weeks until we can play each other again."
The Rivalry Series was all about pushing momentum for the women's game in a non-Olympic year. Yes, it was a precursor to April's IIHF Women's World Championships, but it was also about filling arenas and giving fans even more exposure to one of the fiercest rivalries in sports. The announced attendance in Detroit -- 9,048 -- was the fourth-largest crowd ever for a U.S. women's national team game in the United States.
"It was an amazing three games," U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said. "To see the support, to see the buildings full, it's been unbelievable."
The sour taste will motivate the Americans heading into worlds; the U.S. has not lost an international tournament since 2014. But the Rivalry Series also presented this dilemma for Team USA coach Bob Corkum as his team looks to regroup: Does he start goaltender Maddie Rooney, the 21-year-old who dazzled and led the U.S. to Olympic gold, or Rigsby who, over the past three months, has shown she's ready to reclaim the spotlight?
Rigsby is 27 and has already accomplished a ton in her hockey career. In high school, she became the first female to be drafted in the USHL (she never ended up playing for the Chicago Steel, though she did make it far in their training camp). She is the first female goaltender in USA Hockey history to play at the U18, U22 and national team level. She has four world championship gold medals and has competed in six Four Nations Cups. And though she followed legendary goalie Jessie Vetter at Wisconsin, she created her own mark. Rigsby was named team captain for the Badgers -- extremely rare for a goaltender -- and ranks first in school history in career saves and second in career wins.
And yet, her career has been defined by some near-misses. In 2014, she was among the final cuts for the U.S. Olympic team, which won silver. And for the 2018 Olympics, the coaching staff had been coy about which of the three goaltenders would start. Ultimately, it was Rooney who saw the bulk of the action. Though Rigsby won gold with her teammates -- the Americans' first Olympic gold in 20 years -- Rigsby did not see a minute of game action.
"I would assume that she's very motivated to get back into the starting position," said Kristen Hagg, the general manager of Rigsby's CWHL team, the Calgary Inferno. "I'm sure she was thrilled to win a gold medal with that team, but goalies always want to be playing. On the ice and off the ice, she's extremely determined. The way she fights to make saves, you can tell that she has a ton motivating her."
Rigsby's teammates have seen it, too. "From a player that didn't get announced for a minute in the Olympics to a player that has been backstopping this team, she's unbelievable," Coyne Schofield said. "She's always been capable of that, but it's finally amazing to see her get the opportunity."
Brianna Decker is one of the players closest to Rigsby and a teammate on the Calgary squad.
"Obviously, I play with her in Calgary, and I grew up with her," Decker said. "The commitment she's put toward getting better every day has been very apparent."
Corkum's staff took over just before the Four Nations Cup in November, and the former NHL center gave Rigsby the start in the final game against Canada, over Rooney, in that event. The U.S. won 5-2 behind 23 saves by Rigsby. (Rooney and other college players were not on the roster for the Rivalry Series).
On how she has felt after the Olympics, Rigsby said, "It obviously didn't turn out how anyone could have possibly expected. For me now, we have a new coaching staff that supports me and believes in me, and it makes the world of difference."
This has also been Rigsby's first season playing in the CWHL. In 15 games, she has gone 12-2-0 with a 2.05 GAA and .925 save percentage as Calgary sits in first place in the league and already has clinched a playoff spot.
"She's helped us win games even more than people have realized," Hagg said. "People are focused on our offense, but there has been a lot of times she's been under siege and has made some terrific saves to allow our offense to have a chance."
Like many professional women players, Rigsby has to be a self-starter in a lot of her training. She still lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and flies in to meet her team for games. There have been a few snafus of delays and cancellations, which is expected when traveling in the Midwest during winter, and especially considering there aren't too many direct-flight options from Madison to most Canadian cities.
Rigsby trains with her goalie coach, Larry Clemens. Vetter used to be her training partner but has since retired. Rigsby recently trained with former Badger Ann-Renee Desbiens and thinks they will continue to work together.
"It can be hard," Rigsby says. "But it's good, too, because I can be with my goalie coach and just focus on that, then be with the team for games."
Rigsby said she made "a few mistakes" in the Rivalry Series finale, though the first goal came on a Canadian power play, and the second was on a 2-on-1 break. She won't have too much time to wallow. Calgary's trip to China is this week and most of Rigsby's teammates are already on site. She planned to spend the night in Toronto after the Detroit game, then flying out with Decker and other teammates who played in the series.
Six weeks from now, she could have a chance to start for the U.S. again against Canada.
"Lots of tough decisions," Corkum said of his roster heading into the tournament.
Rigsby is making it even tougher.