Win over Canada for gold ends 20-year U.S. drought
going to make that save and win it for us.”
They got this far only because they stuck together through challenges that could GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Listeneasily have driven them apart. Last spring ing to the national anthem after they had the players threatened to boycott the world defeated Canada in a six-round shootout to championships unless they were given earn Olympic gold, members of the U.S. better pay and more marketing and women’s hockey team stood with their development efforts by USA Hockey. arms around each other and swayed gently A few days before the worlds, an to the sweetest song they’d ever heard. agreement was reached. They then won
They were together, of one mind and their fourth straight world title and one heart, smiling and crying, after their seventh in eight years. 3-2 victory Thursday had ended Canada’s “I think this performance sort of tranfour-tournament winning streak and scended our sport just because we weren’t halted a 20-year U.S. gold-medal famine. receiving the right support of a gold
“It’s the greatest moment of our lives,” medal-winning team,” forward Hilary said forward Meghan Duggan, who added Knight said. “And this is what a goldgold to the silver medals she won after medal-winning team looks like with the close losses to Canada in 2010 and 2014. right support.” “We worked really hard to put ourselves in The top three teams — Finland won position to win this thing.” bronze — had medals placed around their
They reached the pinnacle of the hockey necks by Angela Ruggiero, a member of the world after Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidfirst U.S. women’s team to win gold in 1998. son’s spectacular stickhandling produced Many Canadian players cried; defenseman their third shootout goal and 20-year-old Jocelyne Larocque quickly took her medal off.goaltenderMaddieRooneythwartedCanada’s Meghan Agosta. That stop triggered a To Pelkey, having Ruggiero bestow that sudden downpour of high-flung hockey honor was the perfect touch on a perfect sticks and gloves as U.S. players poured off day. the bench to celebrate. “She is and will always be a legend,”
“Frickin’ Maddie Rooney,” forward Pelkey said. “It all tied together so perfectly Amanda Pelkey said affectionately. “She that she was the one giving us the medal.” just kept calm the whole time. There No one gave them anything. They wasn’t any doubt in my mind that she was earned this. Together.