U.S. women’s hockey team stops rival to strike gold
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — The call came Wednesday night as the U.S. women contemplated their day of reckoning.
Cammi Granato, the face of American women’s hockey, was on the line.
“Everything you need is in this room,” she told the players who had grown up idolizing her.
Granato knew something about this version of the U.S. Olympic team. But so did the players inside the locker room.
“There was just this feeling we all had that we’re going to figure out a way to get it done,” said Monique Lamoureux-Morando.
Twenty years after Granato’s team stunned Canada in the first Olympic final for women’s hockey, the Americans finally duplicated the accomplishment Thursday in an emotionally wrought Shakespearean drama at Gangneung Ice Arena.
The Americans played the role of spoiler by ending Canada’s long Olympic reign in the most Shakespearean of ways: They won their first gold medal since 1998 with a pressure-pounding 3-2 shootout victory.
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson — Monique’s twin — got the game-winner in the sixth round of the shootout that
ended only when goalkeeper Maddie Rooney stopped Meghan Agosta, who had scored Canada’s first penalty minutes earlier.
It was fitting that Lamoureux-Davidson’s strong attack at goal proved the difference. Her sister had tied the score with 6:21 left in regulation to send it into overtime.
The shootout encapsulated all the pent-up emotions unfolding across the sheet of ice with the four-time Olympic champion playing the three-time runner-up.
“It was time,” Hannah Brandt said. “We needed to be on the other side of it. We wanted to do what they did” in 1998.
But Canada doesn’t acquiesce easily. It hadn’t lost an Olympic hockey game since the ‘98 final, an impressive 24-game streak that included a 2-1 victory over the Americans in the preliminary bout at the Pyeongchang Games.
But the U.S. players said afterward they never had doubts. They have defeated Canada in the past four World Championships and have a blend of young talent with veterans such as Hilary Knight, a three-time Olympian.
The players swore they knew LamoureuxDavidson would score against goalkeeper Shannon Szabados.
“There was no doubt on anyone’s mind, just a matter of how and when,” said Gigi Marvin,
who scored one of the three penalty shootout goals.
Lamoureux-Davidson didn’t waver when coach Robb Stauber asked if she wanted the shot as the teams were tied 2-2 late in the shootout.
The forward knew exactly what she would do.
“The last penalty shot against Canada I looked like an idiot so I went back to this,” Lamoureux-Davidson said.
It turns out the penalty shot has a name: “Oops I did it again,” from the Britney Spears song.
Lamoureux-Davidson learned it from Peter Elander, North Dakota’s associate head coach.
She had practiced it a thousand times over the past four years, shooting the puck at car tires.
“Shannon is a great goalie and I knew I had to sell the shot,” the forward from North Dakota said. “I blacked out and don’t even know what she did when I took the shot.”
Lamoureux-Davidson’s goal didn’t clinch it. The Americans had to wait for Agosta’s attempt against Rooney, a 20-year-old Minnesota-Duluth student.
Her teammates pointed to her saying “one more.” The goalie couldn’t remember what happened next.
“It was a blur after that and then all my teammates were running after me,” said Rooney, who took another swipe at the puck to make sure it didn’t roll in.