‘Unreal’ feeling for Americans
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson skated slowly back and forth toward the net, showing forehand, then leaning quickly to the left to fake a backhand that pulled Canadian goalie Shannon Szabados out of the crease.
On the sport’s biggest stage, against the Americans’ greatest rival, with all her teammates leaning eagerly over the boards watching her every move, the three-time Olympian came back to her forehand to finish off a dazzling, triple-deke move for the deciding goal in the sixth round of a shootout thriller.
“I knew when that went in that Maddie was going to stop the next one,” Lamoureux-Davidson said.
That would be 20-yearold goalie Maddie Rooney, who stuffed the last two Canadian shooters to wrap up a 3-2 victory yesterday that snapped the Americans’ 20-year gold medal drought and ended Canada’s bid for a fifth straight title in the first shootout in an Olympic women’s final.
The Americans piled over the boards, throwing gloves in the air before piling on top of Rooney on the ice, 20 years after their last gold medal in women’s hockey and 38 years to the day after the men’s famous “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviets in group play at Lake Placid.
“Joy’s the only word that comes to mind,” said Gigi Marvin, a three-time Olympian and at 30 the oldest American on the roster.
This victory capped a year that started with the Americans threatening a boycott of the world championships to secure more money and the same treatment that USA Hockey gives to the men’s team.
“They should make a movie on it,” forward Hilary Knight said. “We had all the drama and everything. It’s sort of a storybook ending to an incredible series of accomplishments.”
Nothing was more incredible than the move by Lamoureux-Davidson, who decided to use the deke called “Oops, I did it again,” something she said she had practiced uncounted times, skating around tires set up on open ice to mimic defenders.
“I’m just thrilled beyond words,” the beaming Lamoureux-Davidson said with a U.S. flag draped around her shoulders and gold hanging on her chest. “I’ve butchered it a thousand times, just ran into tires, tripped over tires just working on my hands. Just glad it worked out this time.”
It was sweet redemption for the 10 Americans who watched the Canadians snatch gold away in Sochi in 2014. Not only did the Americans end the Canadians’ stranglehold on Olympic gold, they ended a skid of five straight against their rival coming into this game, including a 2-1 loss in the tournament a week ago.
“It is everything for our country,” U.S. coach Robb Stauber said. “I am just so thankful for the outcome. It was a thrilling final. It was unreal.”