Canada and the United States were largely even for most of the game, but Canadian goalkeeper Shannon Szabados was the difference. The Americans fired the puck at the Canadian goal 28 times, but Szabados turned them away each time.
Marie Philip Paulin of Canada scored both Canadian goals - at 13:55 and 16:50 of the first period. USA Coach Mark Johnson said that his team is disappointed it did not win, but he is proud of the effort they put out.
"We came up a little short this afternoon, but I think when the dust settles, the entire - everyone on our team can leave Vancouver with their heads up high," he said. "Unfortunately it just didn't work out today, but I think they have a lot to be proud of and I know our entire coaching staff is extremely proud of them." The last time the USA won a gold medal in women's ice hockey was 1998 in Nagano, Japan. U.S. defender Angela Ruggiero - who has played in four Olympics and lost to Canada twice - says that she and her teammates did everything they could, but Canada was too good.
"We put our best foot forward tonight," she said. "We couldn't put the puck in the net, but we are proud of ourselves. You know, disappointed that it isn't the gold. But we are proud to really not have any regrets. We did everything we could. In that sense were are extremely proud." The win is the Canadians third consecutive women's ice hockey victory, with two of them coming over the United States. It also earned Canada its eighth gold medal of the Vancouver Games, the nation's highest ever Winter Olympic total. Earlier, Finland defeated Sweden, 3-2 to take the bronze medal.
