U.S. women show no letdown at world hockey championships

It would be understandable if the powerhouse U.S. women’s hockey team felt a bit distracted at the world championships this week.

The players settled a long-running dispute with national officials — earning better compensation and more financial support for their program — just days before the start of the tournament in Plymouth, Mich.

But last-minute negotiations haven’t shown any effect on the ice as the Americans will face Canada on Friday night for the gold medal and a chance to win a fourth consecutive world title.

“We’ve been good through the round-robin and now the semifinals,” defenseman Megan Keller said. “And we hope to just carry it over into the last game.”

Calling her team “good” might be an understatement.

The U.S. has outscored its opponents 25-3 through four games. Thirteen players recorded a point in Thursday night’s 11-0 semifinal victory over Germany.

The title game features the top two programs in the world. Though the U.S. holds the recent upper hand in world championship play, Canada won gold in overtime at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Last Friday, the Americans eked out a 2-0 victory in their preliminary round matchup.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to defend our gold medal in front of our fans and look forward to playing in what will be an electric atmosphere,” U.S. Coach Robb Stauber said.

david.wharton@latimes.com

Twitter: @LAtimesWharton