Congratulations is in order, as the Canadian Women’s National hockey team defeated their rivals 5-4 in overtime to capture the gold medal.
Many hockey fans still don’t realize the deep-seeded angst between the two nations’ women’s programs. For years the two nations were the pinnacle of women’s hockey, routinely meeting in the gold medal match-ups, just as they did tonight. But this year was different. The trash-talking was raised to a completely different level.
The American team continuously taunted their cross-border rivals, claiming to want to play Canada as they were not as strong as some of the other nations in the tournament. What you don’t want to do as an athlete is to give any locker room material. There is no other way to describe the Canadians’ effort tonight than “feisty”. They were all over the ice, leaving everything there.
After jumping out to a nice two-goal lead, the Americans rallied and took the lead themselves 4-3, before the Canadians answered in the third to send it to overtime. Meghan Agosta’s goal with less than two and a half minutes to play in the third period ensured that this game would be settled by a Golden Goal. In Overtime, just a couple of minutes in, a two on one developed in the US zone. Agosta again carrying the play, she slid a nice pass into the slot where forward Carolyn Ouellette slid the puck low past the American goalkeeper to earn the victory.
Congratulations to both teams for a well-played game.
…and that is the Last Word.
