Getzville native Hayley Scamurra can now add Gold Medalist to her illustrious résumé, as Team USA upended rival Canada, 2-1 in overtime, in the women's hockey gold medal game on Thursday, Feb. 19 in Milan.
The Nichols School alumnus totaled three goals through seven games in the tournament — all victories.
Scamurra, 31, had two goals in the tournament-opening game against Czechia before her third tally of the tournament put the finishing touches on a 5-0 semifinal win vs. Sweden.
The Northeastern graduate earned a silver medal in 2022, when Team USA fell 3-2 to Canada, and she was able to exact revenge four years later.
This year's edition featured even less offense. Following a scoreless first period, Canada struck first less than a minute into the second on a shorthanded goal by Oakville, Ontario native Kristin O'Neill. The score remained 1-0 until just two minutes remained in regulation, when team captain Hilary Knight deflected a point shot from Laila Edwards — a graduate of Rochester's Bishop Kearney High School — to even the score.
In overtime, which is played with just three skaters on the ice at a time, Megan Keller of Farmington, Mich., slipped a backhand past Canada goalkeeper Ann-Renee Desbiens for the winner.
Team USA will aim to defend their gold medal four years from now at the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.