Canada's women win third straight hockey gold medal

Home-ice pressure? No problem.

The Canadian women's hockey team has embraced a nation's desire for hockey gold and it has delivered just that.

Led by an 18-year-old scoring phenom and a goalie most considered the sure No.3 just a few months ago, Canada skated to a confident 2-0 win over its rivals from the United States, and seized its third straight Olympic gold medal.

Marie-Philip Poulin of Beauceville, Que. scored two goals on U.S. netminder Jessie Vetter - both in the first period -- to lead the charge in just her first Olympic Games.

The rest of the game was scoreless for both teams. Shannon Szabados was impenetrable in the Canadian net, making 28 saves, many of them the sort that made jaws drop and the crowd erupt. The native of Edmonton, Alta., made several of her signature sprawling glove saves, giving her team a huge burst of momentum.

Also a first-time Olympian, Szabados was a big part of a disciplined Canadian penalty-killing effort that killed off numerous U.S powerplays, including a critical five-on-three early in the second period.

Canada's women errupted in celebration before a deafening crowd as the final buzzer sounded, piling onto Szabados for their long awaited victory hug.

As the two teams received their medals, there was an outpouring of sportsmanship from the fans for Finland, the bronze medallists and particularly for the silver-medal-winning rivals from the U.S. The entire building -- Canadian and American fans alike -- chanted 'U-S-A' as the U.S. players received their silver rewards.

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