U.S. Women beat Canada in shootout to win gold at 2018 Olympics

By @MichaelCaples –

In 2014, the U.S. Women’s Team watched Canada assemble a memorable comeback on the world stage.

Oh, how sweet the revenge is.

For the first time since 1998, Team USA has won gold in women’s ice hockey.

In the early hours of Thursday morning back home, the Americans finally beat their neighbors to the north in the latest edition of their storied rivalry – on women’s hockey’s biggest stage.

Four straight IIHF Women’s World Championships was one thing. Finally beating them in the Olympics was another.

Mission accomplished – in thrilling fashion.

In the 2018 Olympic Winter Games gold-medal game in PyeongChang, Team USA won in a six-round shootout behind saves from Maddie Rooney and goals from Gigi Marvin, Amanda Kessel and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson.

The game came to a thrilling conclusion on the shootout goal from Lamoureux-Davidson – a highlight-reel strike, to say the least – and then a clinching save from Rooney on Meghan Agosta.

Monique Lamoureux-Morando (the other Lamoureux twin) scored the goal that forced overtime; Hilary Knight scored the other regulation goal way back in the first period.

Michigan’s own Megan Keller played a substantial role in the victory, serving as an anchor on Team USA’s blue line. Once again, she led all U.S. skaters in ice-time, playing for a total of 29:05.

Her teammates bailed her out at the end of overtime, too, after the Farmington Hills native was whistled for an illegal hit on Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin. The U.S. was short for the final 1:35 of a four-on-four overtime.

Highlights from the conclusion of the shootout and the ensuing celebration: