The victory gives the United States its second gold medal in women’s ice hockey after Team USA claimed the inaugural gold medal in the event at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. The U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team has medaled in all six Olympic appearances to date (gold – 1998, 2018; silver – 2002, 2010, 2014 and bronze – 2006).
Both teams exchanged scoring opportunities throughout the first 10 minutes of play in search of the game’s opening goal. Team USA’s most promising opportunity in that span came at 11:40 when Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.) nearly capitalized on a loose puck in front of the crease but saw her attempt denied. Four minutes later, Rooney made a sprawling stick save on a Canadian wraparound attempt from behind the net to keep the game scoreless.
With 26 seconds remaining in the period, Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho) gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead to enter the first intermission by redirecting a power-play goal off a shot by Sidney Morin (Minnetonka, Minn.).
In the middle stanza, Canada's Haley Irwin tied the game just two minutes into the frame before Marie-Philip Poulin tallied nearly five minutes later to put Canada up, 2-1. The U.S. continued to add pressure in the Canadian zone, but could not find the equalizer as it carried a one-goal deficit and 24-16 shot advantage into the third period.
After an early pair of U.S. chances were denied, Monique Lamoureux-Morando (Grand Forks, N.D.) netted the equalizer with 6:21 left in regulation on a breakaway tally. The play started when Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn.) collected the puck deep in the U.S. zone and found Lamoureux-Morando near the Canadian blue line where she was able to skate in uncontested and fire a shot past Canadian netmidner Shannon Szabados. With neither team able to score again as time expired, the game entered extra time.
Throughout the 20-minute 4-on-4 overtime, the two teams traded high-quality scoring chances but neither could find the back of the net as the extra frame ended with the U.S. outshooting Canada, 9-7.
In the initial five-player shootout, Marvin and Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) scored in the first and fourth rounds while Rooney turned aside three Canadian shooters to force a sixth round. After Lamoureux-Davidson connected on her attempt, Rooney turned aside the final Canadian shootout attempt to seal the gold medal.
NOTES: The U.S. outshot Canada, 42-31. For complete game stats, click here ... Forward Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson was named to the Media All-Star Team ... The 2018 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team is under the direction of General Manager Reagan Carey (Colorado Springs, Colo.) … USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Gavin Regan (Potsdam, N.Y.), vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. Olympic Teams.
