LEILA FADEL, HOST:
In the history of Olympic women's ice hockey, it's come down to the U.S. versus Canada for the gold medal seven times. Last night, the two rivals met again, and the U.S. came away with the gold after a classic nail-biter. NPR's Becky Sullivan was there and sends this story.
BECKY SULLIVAN, BYLINE: The U.S. squad had run through this Olympics like a freight train, outscoring their opponents 31-1. They're a potent blend of veteran leadership and thrilling young talent with stars like the five-time Olympian and team captain Hilary Knight and the 22-year-old phenom Laila Edwards. But there's no such thing as an easy gold-medal match, especially against Canada. Their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin.
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MARIE-PHILIP POULIN: Obviously, over time, Canada-U.S. in the gold-medal game, I don't think it's a surprise here. That's why it's the best rivalry in the sport. And obviously, we came up short.
SULLIVAN: Team Canada was older and more experienced. The young Americans had some jitters at first. Early in the second period, the Canadians took advantage of a defensive lapse by Edwards to score a shorthanded goal to go up 1-0. Hilary Knight said someone was going to have to step up.
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HILARY KNIGHT: Who's going to be the hero? We need the hero, and that hero's in this room.
SULLIVAN: With barely two minutes left in regulation, the U.S. pulled their goaltender off the ice to give them an extra skater on offense. Big risk, but this was for all the marbles, and it paid off. Edwards shot a rocket that Knight tipped up in for the tying goal.
KNIGHT: Great patience and poise with the puck. And then as soon as it was going over to Laila, I was like, I better get in front of that net (laughter).
SULLIVAN: Asked afterward what she felt after that goal - was it relief or shock? - Knight said it was more like pure determination.
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KNIGHT: We're going to win the game. It was just that simple.
SULLIVAN: For those of us watching, it didn't feel simple. The three-on-three sudden-death overtime felt tense, heart-stopping, as the teams traded shot after shot. Then a poorly timed Canadian shift change left the far side of the ice wide open. Forward Taylor Heise sent the puck into the open space where her teammate Megan Keller found it.
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KNIGHT: When Meg pulls her move, I knew we had it immediately.
SULLIVAN: The play will be on highlight reels for years to come. Keller slipped the puck past the Canadian defender, then right in between the goalie's legs into the net. Before overtime began, the team had huddled up and talked about the difference between playing not to lose and playing to win, Keller said.
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MEGAN KELLER: And I think a lot of times, you know, you get a little nervous trying to make a move, and, you know, when Heise made a great pass up to me and just saw one defender, I thought, why not? Let's take a chance here and try and get to the net.
SULLIVAN: Afterward, it was the Americans flinging their sticks and gloves into the air in jubilation and the Canadians who endured the gloomy walk off the ice, silver medals around their necks, eyes red from crying, tears still lingering on their cheeks.
Becky Sullivan, NPR News, Milan.
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