USA TODAY International Edition
U. S. women on top of world with win
PLYMOUTH, MICH. U. S. women’s national hockey team coach Robb Stauber likes to tell his players, “We don’t care who scores, but trust me, we remember who blocks shots.”
Stauber, a former NHL goalie, is not likely to ever forget that it was a blocked shot by Hilary Knight that led to her scoring the game- winning overtime goal in Team USA’s 3- 2 victory against Canada in the IIHF World Championships.
“I don’t know what a fan paid for a ticket tonight, but they should have doubled it, because it was a good hockey game,” Stauber said.
After the first period, former Canadian women’s hockey star Cassie Campbell tweeted that it was the fastest women’s game she had ever seen played.
It was a memorable game because it gave Team USA its seventh gold medal in the last eight World Championships and three in a row since Team USA lost to Canada in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
It was an emotional game for the American women because they had been riding a roller coaster since March 15, when they threatened to boycott the World Championships if they didn’t receive a new contract from USA Hockey that would give them the financial support they needed to stay active in the sport in non- Olympic years.
The American women didn’t even know they would be playing in the World Championships until USA Hockey officials agreed to a deal three days before the start of the tournament.
The new financial package — paying players about $ 70,000 in non- Olympic years and potentially more than $ 100,000 in an Olympic year — was a major win that could change American women’s hockey for years to come, but players understood the story needed a happy ending to make it more meaningful.
“The negotiation process took a toll,” Knight said. “But we knew there would be a bond that would be unbreakable. We set a historic landmark for the next generation. ( What we wanted was) to build off that, to come in with momentum, and then win our next world championship.”
It was fitting that Knight netted the game- winner, because she was one of the spokespersons for the women’s fight for the improved financial package.
She blocked a shot just inside her team’s defensive zone and then head- manned the puck to speedy Kendall Coyne. Quickly, the Americans were jetting upice on a three- on- two break. Coyne had no doubt about what she needed to do.
Coyne also had no doubt about what Knight would do because Coyne had given her specific instructions.
“Between periods, I told her, ‘ Just rip it,’ ” Coyne said.
Knight buried the shot high into the net to create the storybook ending.
No one wanted to talk about the beauty of the goal, preferring to discuss the work that went into the goal and the championship.
“For a couple of weeks leading up to the tournament, we just kept telling each other to stay focused, to keep up with the training, on and off the ice, and mentally, because we knew there was a chance that we would be coming in at the last minute,” Team USA goalie Nicole Hensley said. “Everyone bought in.”
Kacey Bellamy scored two goals for Team USA in the championship game, and she said afterward players never lost faith during the contract negotiations.
That wasn’t easy, considering that USA Hockey officials, at one point, considered using replacement players.
“We were being very optimistic,” Bellamy said. “We are such a tightknit team. We knew this was the team they wanted to put on the ice. “Luckily, we stuck together.” In the long run, the women’s victory in winning financial security will greatly boost American women’s hockey.
But remaining champions of the world made the triumph even sweeter.
“That was quite a fight they had coming in,” Stauber said. “They felt strongly about certain situations, and they fought hard for what they believed in.”