NAGANO, Japan -- The building animosity between the top two women's Olympic hockey teams spilled off the ice as Canada's coach accused a U.S. player of making nasty remarks about the dead father of a Canadian player.

U.S. forward Sandra Whyte (Saugus, Mass.) was seen after Saturday's game speaking heatedly to Canada's top scorer, Danielle Goyette, who learned the night before the Olympic opening ceremony that her father had died.

CANADIAN COACH Shannon Miller told television reporters that a U.S. player - she didn't say which one - had said something about Goyette's 77-year-old father, who had long been ill with Alzheimer's disease.

"It was uncalled for. I was standing there. I heard it," Miller said.

U.S. captain Cammi Granato, who went over to speak with Miller on the ice, said no such remark was made. "Things were misunderstood. It got blown out of proportion," she said.

Whyte refused to comment after the game, which the United States won 7-4. On Sunday, she denied saying anything about Goyette's father. She admitted speaking harshly, but wouldn't reveal what she did say.

"I SEE MEN ON ice pummeling each other all the time, so this makes no sense to me," she said. "What was said was in the heat of battle. It happens all the time on the ice."

In a statement, Goyette said the incident wasn't worth any more attention as the teams prepare to play for the gold medal on Tuesday.

"It's time to turn the page and focus on the biggest game in the history of women's hockey, the Olympic gold-medal game," Goyette said. "It is not worth going back to what was said during and after the game."