USA Wins First Olympic Hockey Gold Medal in 20 Years in Overtime Thriller vs. Canada

The U.S. and Canada added another thrilling chapter to their women’s hockey rivalry.

For the first time since the very first Olympic women’s hockey tournament, the United States has won the gold medal.

The U.S. took a 1–0 lead on a goal by Hilary Knight in the closing moments of the first period but Canada answered with two goals early in the second. It remained tied until American Monique Lamoureux cored with 6:21 to play in the final period.

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Sixty minutes weren’t enough to decide the game and the game went to overtime. The Americans applied plenty of pressure during the 20-minute extra period but were on the ropes at the end of OT after taking a penalty. The U.S. killed the penalty, though, and the game went to a shootout.

Five rounds of a shootout couldn’t decide it. In the sixth, Jocelyne Lamoureux broke down the Canadian goalie with a filthy deke and American keeper Maddie Rooney stopped Meghan Agosta to lock up the win.

The U.S. hadn’t won a gold medal in women’s hockey since the inaugural tournament at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. The Americans lost three of the previous four gold medal games to Canada, the lone exception being a disappointing bronze medal finish in 2006 after losing to Sweden in the semis.

The 2014 game was especially heartbreaking for the Americans, who surrendered two goals in the final five minutes, including one in the final minute, to allow the game to go to overtime. Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin scored both the game-tying goal and the overtime winner.