A storybook ending: gold

They were this season’s “Miracle on Ice” — the scrappy collection of American women who brought home Olympic gold in women’s hockey for the first time in 20 years and with it bragging rights for at least the next few years.

They did it in spectacular fashion in a 3-2 shootout against arch rival Canada at the Pyeongchang Olympics. And they did it with a spectacular performance by 20-year-old goalie Maddie Rooney, on leave from her Minnesota-Duluth college, who had played for the boys’ varsity team during her senior year in high school.

Those of us in Massachusetts can take a special pride in Team USA members Meghan Duggan of Danvers, Kacey Bellamy of Westfield, Kali Flanagan of Burlington, their teammates who were nurtured at Boston College and those who have gone on to play for the Boston Pride or the Boston Blades. Yes, this has become something of a hotbed for women’s hockey.

But it wasn’t that long ago when little girls sat on the sidelines while their brothers took to the ice. And those who did beg successfully to play had to change in the ladies room, not in a locker room of their own — because, well, that’s just the way it was.

Even this group of proud Olympians last spring demanded financial support and resources equal to the treatment given to the men’s team by USA Hockey. They had to threaten to boycott the world championships to get it, but they won. Today that must look like a rather smart investment by USA Hockey.

It was, as forward Hillary Knight — a veteran of five seasons of professional hockey here in Boston — put it, “sort of a storybook ending.”

It was indeed — and lots of little girl hockey players will see it and believe.