USA! USA! USA! For the first time in 20 years, Team USA’s women’s hockey team brought home the gold! It was an intense match as Team USA faced off against their biggest rival, Team Canada. The game came down to a shootout in overtime, with the US coming out on top, 3-2.
LAMOUREUX’S WINNER. USA GETS GOLD pic.twitter.com/zzPWyilraE
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 22, 2018
If that is not enough drama for you, the win also comes on the 38th anniversary of another huge win for Team USA. It was 38 years ago that the United States men’s hockey team pulled off the “Miracle on Ice” against the Soviet Union. Women’s hockey was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1998. Team Canada has won every Olympic tournament, beating the United States in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. However, they were messing with a team that not only had so much to fight for on the ice, but also off of it.
This team is the true definition of toughness and determination. These women bravely decided to boycott the world championships in protest over the wage gap between male and female players. The women were only being paid $1,000 for six months during the year of the Olympics and nothing during the years in between the games. Unfortunately, most of the women had to get second and even third jobs just to survive. Compared to men who can play in the NHL where the starting salary is almost half a million dollars, the newly constructed NWHL can only afford to pay players up to $30,000 and they just had to slash salaries.
USA Hockey backed down ultimately and the women participated and WON the world championships. The United States has won the championships seven times since 2000.
Congratulations ladies on a well fought victory that will show a new generation of young girls that they can be anything they want. You represented the United States beautifully!
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