United States beats Canada for first women’s hockey gold since 1998

They have perhaps the best draws they could have imagined on a crash course to the gold-medal game at this Olympic tournament with no National Hockey League players.

The Americans last won gold in the 1998 Nagano Games.

A new one is headed to Warroad, too. That has only made the US drought at the Olympics all the more noticeable and making this game even more special.

The Dutch were Sochi’s gold medal victor in the event, however all eyes are on New Zealand’s Peter Michael who was the first speed skater from his country to win a World Cup event in 2016. “We want to play a high tempo game from start to finish, and not everybody can do that”. “All of us are going to bring our best game”. There was no doubt in our locker room.

Koe, third Marc Kennedy, second Brent Laing and lead Ben Hebert wrapped up the preliminary round at 6-3, just behind Sweden (7-2) to secure one of four sports in the semifinals.

Team Canada’s Olympic journey just got a little longer, and a little stranger.

This season, Canada carried a five-game winning streak over the USA into Thursday’s final.

Trailing 2-1 in the third period, Monique Lamoureux-Morando converted a breakaway to knot the score 2-2 to force the 20-minute overtime period that preceded the prolonged shootout.

The Austrian did a “cab double 10” – two flips and three full rotations – to slip past Anderson.

“When she cut across like that, a lot of people tend to go five hole so I kind of anticipated it”. I was pretty excited. “I think everybody knew we were going to tie it up there”.

For those who noticed, during the silver medal awards, Canadian player Larocque couldn’t get the second-place medal off of her neck quick enough.

After the initial five shooters, it was tied 2-2.

Gigi Marvin and Amanda Kessel also scored in the shootout.

Despite playing on their heels for much of the first period, the Canadians seized momentum back in the second period. “I don’t think this will be the end”.

“Shannon Szabados is the best goalie in the world and she faked her out not once, not twice but three times“, said NBC analyst Tessa Bonhomme, a former Canadian Olympian. “They were the engine driving this team”.

With the medal now on the line, the Canadians sent Agosta out again but she was foiled by goaltender Maddie Rooney to seal a magnificent win for the Americans.

“I wouldn’t take away my experience from the last two silver medals”, Knight said. “It really didn’t matter for us, but we’ll be ready”. Then the Americans’ old nemesis, Marie Philip-Poulin, snuck into the USA zone behind the play and struck from the left circle to make it 2-1. None has been decided by more than two goals.

Carey said that calling on Granato one more time before the final was not to fill any hole for lack of motivation or inspiration. Now, there is another moment in USA women’s hockey history to motivate the next group of players.

They put in pre-dawn workouts. They’ve gotten that from Danny aus den Birken, who has a 2.43 goals-against average and made 31 saves in a 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden. “They were working really hard”. No other North Dakotas have ever won more than one.

The Americans piled over the boards, throwing gloves in the air before piling on top of Rooney on the ice – 20 years after their last gold medal in women’s hockey and 38 years to the day after the men’s famous “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet team in group play at Lake Placid.

In 2014, the US won four straight over Canada leading up to the Olympics (after Canada’s head coach shockingly resigned in December 2013). They know when women’s hockey was first contested at the 1998 Olympics, the United States topped Canada.

Germany won gold, and Canada bronze. The women in blue poured onto the ice after Canada’s Megan Agosta couldn’t reply, handing the Americans the gold.

The U.S. won three straight World Championships and Four Nations titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

David Wise delivered another gold for the USA, winning the men’s halfpipe in freestyle skiing.

Norway beat Slovenia 2-1 in overtime — its first win in Olympic mens hockey since 1994 — to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

That date finally arrived Wednesday night.