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U.S. Defeats Canada For Gold In Thrilling Women's Hockey Final

U.S. women's Gold Medal victory comes on the 38th anniversary of the U.S. men’s "Miracle on Ice" GETTY IMAGES

The U.S. women's hockey team's 3-2 shootout win last night over Canada in the Gold Medal game "might have been the greatest game of women's hockey ever played" considering the "size of the  stage," according to Cathal Kelly of the GLOBE & MAIL. No rivalry in sport "pays off in entertainment/cardiac-distress more reliably than this one." It is a "guaranteed classic that will hopefully go on for years to come" (THEGLOBEANDMAIL.com, 2/22). In Milwaukee, Gary D'Amato calls this the "most thrilling women’s hockey game ever played." The team members "wrote their own chapter of Olympic history" (JSONLINE.com, 2/22). YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Adelson writes U.S. F Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson's game-winning goal in the sixth round of shootouts will be "replayed and relived in the minds of an untold amount of Americans, and it will be etched in not just women’s hockey history, not just hockey history, but sports history" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/22). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan writes it was "one of the most satisfying moments in U.S. Olympic history." It was fitting that the "greatest game in U.S. women’s hockey history would take place on the 38th anniversary of the greatest game in U.S. men’s hockey history," the "Miracle on Ice" win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid (USATODAY.com, 2/22). The AP's Paul Newberry writes, "Some will surely say this was a victory for women's hockey. That would be selling it short. This was a victory for all of hockey" (AP, 2/22).

WORTH THE WAIT: In Toronto, Rob Longley writes the game was a "terrific afternoon of tension and end-to-end, best-on-best hockey." The "advance billing didn't disappoint." It was so good that it left fans wanting to "not have a four-year wait between such epic showdowns" (TORONTOSUN.com, 2/22). In DC, Chelsea Janes writes four years "funnel to this, to one puck and one save, sometimes feels unfair." But if the Americans had "annual chances to beat back the Canadians for this Olympic medal, none of what happened over those three riveting hours ... could mean so much" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/22). NBC’s Mike Tirico asked, “Can we all sign up for this in Beijing in four years? USA and Canada in women’s hockey delivers again” (“Winter Olympics,” NBC, 2/22). In Detroit, Gregg Krupa notes the U.S. and Canada have "provided exciting hockey, capturing the attention of an international television audience and some hockey fans around the globe for at least 20 years, now" (DETROITNEWS.com, 2/22).

Knight, who scored a goal in the first period, said that she hopes there is a paradeGETTY IMAGES

BACK ON TOP: USA TODAY's Kevin Allen notes last night's win "ends 20 years of frustration for the Americans, who won the first women’s Olympic gold" at the '98 Nagano Games and then "watched Canada win four in a row." The Americans were the "silver medalist in four of those games, including the last three in a row." The added frustration for Team USA is that it has "beaten the Canadians in seven of the past eight World Championships" (USATODAY.com, 2/22). The AP writes it was "sweet redemption for the 10 Americans who watched the Canadians snatch gold away" at the '14 Sochi Games. The Canadians, who had "pushed the Americans around for much of the game and taken penalties for it, wept on the ice as they accepted their silver medals." Canada D Jocelyne Larocque "took hers off immediately and held it in her hands as the Americans stood nearby awaiting their gold" (AP, 2/22). U.S. F Hilary Knight said, "I hope there’s a parade or something.” In Boston, Tara Sullivan writes, "Make it happen America. They deserve it" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/22).

GIRL POWER: In N.Y., Matthew Futterman writes last night's win was "especially poignant for this group of American women." A year ago, they "battled USA Hockey for better pay and work conditions, including by threatening to boycott a world championship tournament last year." Only a last-minute settlement that included "hefty pay raises got them back onto the ice" (NYTIMES.com, 2/22). ESPN's Mike Golic Jr. said, "They banded together and said, 'We are willing to walk into oblivion if we are not given the support needed.' They got the support and won a Gold Medal off of it. ... This group is going to be able to look back and say we were part of a big moment of change" ("Golic & Wingo," ESPN Radio, 2/22). ESPNW.com's Julie Foudy: "When you go through an equitable support battle against your own federation like these women did last year, there's a bond formed with your teammates that's unlike anything else" (ESPNW.com, 2/22). TIME.com's Sean Gregory notes the fight for equality "bonded the team, and contributed to their success in competition." U.S. D Gigi Marvin: “What this group has been able to accomplish is way bigger than sports. That’s something that’s never going to fade” (TIME.com, 2/22).

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