U.S. Women's Hockey Team Wins Gold With Thrilling Shootout Win Over Canada
BOSTON (CBS) -- For the first time since 1998, the U.S. women's hockey team has captured Olympic gold.
The historic victory came against Canada, who had won four straight gold medals in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. And it came in thrilling fashion in Pyeongchang.
After the U.S. tied the game at 2-2 late in the third period, the game headed to overtime. Twenty minutes of the OT period was not enough to settle the game, nor were the first five rounds of the shootout -- the first-ever shootout in a women's hockey Olympic final.
It was in the sixth round of the shootout when Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson unleashed an unbelievable move -- faking a shot, deking to her backhand, going back to her forehand -- to get Canada netminder Shannon Szabados off her feet. Lamoureux fit the puck just past Szabados' outstretched glove hand, and then U.S. netminder Maddie Rooney stopped Meghan Agosta -- who had scored earlier in the shootout -- on Canada's last chance.
"I can't think about anything except pure pride, excitement, and honor for our team," U.S. captain Meghan Duggan said after the victory, per the IIHF. "A lot of us have wanted this since we saw the 1998 team win 20 years ago. To have this experience together, to represent our country is the greatest honor in the world. It's one of the greatest days of all of our lives."
With their first gold medal since the Nagano Olympics in 1998, the U.S. women have now matched the men with two Olympic gold medals. (The men won in 1960 and 1980.)
The U.S. roster featured three players from Massachusetts: Duggan, from Danvers; Kali Flanagan, from Burlington; and Kacey Bellamy, from Westfield. The roster also featured two former Boston College players -- Emily Pfalzer and Haley Skarupa -- as well as three current B.C. players --Flanagan, Cayla Barnes and Megan Keller.
Hillary Knight opened the scoring, giving the U.S. a 1-0 goal late in the first period. But Canada scored twice in the second period to take a lead, with goals from Haley Irwin and Marie-Philip Poulin. With just 6:21 left in regulation, Monique Lamoureux-Morando -- Jocelyn's twin sister -- scored to tie the game at two goals apiece.
In the shootout, Gigi Marvin and Amanda Kessel scored for the U.S., while Agosta and Melodie Daoust scored for Canada. Rooney and Szabados each stopped three shots, setting up the sixth round for Lamoureux's magic.
"I can't put it into words," Bellamy said. "This whole year is for everyone that came before us. This is for [former Team USA captain] Julie Chu and for all our families at home, the schools that we went to, everyone supporting us."
