Team USA wins gold medal in women's hockey after stunning shootout

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Team USA's women's ice hockey squad won a gold medal Thursday, beating Canada 3-2 in a shootout at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung, South Korea

And the game was packed with drama.

The Americans earned an early edge, when Hilary Knight skated in front of the Canadian net and redirected a Sidney Morin shot into the goal for a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period.

But Canada stormed back into the game in the second stanza. Haley Irwin leveled the contest at 1-1 before Marie-Philip Roulin gave the Canadians a 2-1 advantage.

Maddie Rooney kept Team USA in the game by making several saves down the stretch. The American offense tied up the game with 6:21 to go when Monique Lamoureux-Morando found the puck during a line-switch for Canada. She skated in toward the net and buried a wrist shot, making the score 2-2.

Shannon Szabados protected the Canadian net, despite a barrage of shots from Team USA in an overtime sudden-death period. The Canadians were also stonewalled by Rooney, even when they were on a power play to end the frame.

Rooney and Szabados were on full display in the shootout. Team USA gained an advantage immediately when Rooney made a save and Gigi Marvin scored on her team's first penalty shot attempt. Canada's Meghan Agosta made Canada's second attempt. Team USA missed its next two tries, while Canada made one of its next two tries.

In the end, it was Jocelyne Lamoureux who had a chance to put the Americans up for good.

She took Team USA's sixth attempt, skating laterally on the ice and forcing Szabados to stare at her every move. Lamoureux eventually got in front of Szabados and crossed her over with an insanely quick deke, making her fall on her back before finishing the shot.

The Canadians came up empty on their final penalty shot, giving Team USA women's hockey its first gold medal since 1998,