U.S. women defeat rival Canada in shootout to win Olympic gold

The United States women’s hockey team beat longtime rival Canada in a 3-2 shootout Thursday morning to win gold at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games – ending a 20-year gold medal drought for Team USA. 

The victory is the first gold medal for the U.S. since the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan – when women’s ice hockey first became an Olympic event. The U.S. has now medaled in all six Olympic appearances to date, earning silver in 2002, 2010 and 2014 and bronze in 2006. 

Thursday’s win was redemption for the Team USA after a crushing overtime loss to Canada in the gold-medal match at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Canada has won four Olympic gold medals-- three of them against the U.S. 

A number of players from Minnesota and Wisconsin were among those that helped Team USA to victory. Former Gophers standout Amanda Kessel and current Gophers player Gigi Marvin scored two of the team’s three shootout goals. Goalie Maddie Rooney, an Andover native who plays for the University of Minnesota Duluth, stopped four of Canada’s six shootout attempts to seal the gold medal. 

MINNESOTA

Lee Stecklein 
Hometown: Roseville, Minnesota
College: University of Minnesota (current) 

Kelly Pannek
Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota 
College: University of Minnesota (current) 

Gigi Marvin
Hometown: Warroad, Minnesota
College: University of Minnesota 

Hannah Brandt
Hometown: Vadnais Heights, Minnesota
College: University of Minnesota

Sidney Morin
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota 
College: University of Minnesota Duluth

Dani Cameranesi
Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota 
College: University of Minnesota (current)

Maddie Rooney
Hometown: Andover, Minnesota 
College: University of Minnesota Duluth

WISCONSIN

Alex Rigsby
Hometown: Delafield, Wisconsin
College: University of Wisconsin-Madison