Women’s hockey Canada claims 3rd straight Olympic golds with 2-0 win over Americans

hey strolled back on the ice one hour after the medal ceremony, swigging champagne and beer and smoking cigars. While Meghan Acosta and Marie-Philip Poplin posed for photos with Goofy grins, tried Rebecca Johnston drive the ice-resurfacing machine.

Life is sweet when there is a gold medal hanging from your neck in your home pitch.

Poplin scored two goals, and Shannon Salads made 28 saves, and Canada rolled through its American rivals, 2-0, to win the gold medal in women's hockey for the third straight Olympics on Thursday evening in front of a raucous crowd ringing Vancouver Cowbell and frantically waving thousands of Maple Leaf flag.

After Poplin’s scored two first period, dominated by Canadians every aspect of the biggest games in this young sport, serving their 15: e straight Olympic victory. When time expired, and the Canadians skated into a massive pile-up near their goal, more jubilant fans threw the flag over the glass to the players who wrapped them around their shoulders like superheroes' capes.

"I looked up in the stands and saw a sign that said, 'proud to be Canadian,' and that is what I am today," Szabados said. "My teammates were amazing today. We played a fantastic game, and this is a great moment."

Playing with a consistency and passion of its men's team hopes to emulate this weekend, Canada remained undefeated at the Olympics since 1998, when the Americans won the first women's gold.

Earlier, Finland won the bronze, beating Sweden 3-2 in overtime.

Canadians held almost the entire game in Americans' final - outpassing, outshooting and simply outworking the only team in women’s hockey with a chance to stand up to them.

"We commit. We work hard," said Canadian captain Hailey Wisenheimer, a four-time Olympian with three gold medals. "It is up to the rest of the world to catch up. It is not as easy as it looks, believe me."

Let others debate the viability of an Olympic sport with these two dominant powers on top. For Canadians, it was time to celebrate.

Long after the crowds had left, 14 players returned to the ice and toasted each other with champagne bottles and beer cans. Haley Irwin threw a drink in Tessa Bonhomie foot and Acosta and others enjoyed cigars, the smoke wafting up into the stands.

Gilbert Felly, IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games, said he was unaware of the celebration until informed by an AP reporter.

"If so, it is not good. It is not what we want to see," he said. "I do not think it is a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the locker room, it is one thing, but not in public.

"We will investigate what happened. We will speak with federal and NOC. We will first find the facts and then act accordingly," he said.

Canada got two first period goals from Poplin, the super-fast 18-year-old forward from Quebec who claims that she felt no Olympic pressure. Their smooth, graceful goalkeeper did the rest, with Salads capping his first Olympics with flawless net minding in a wind, which at times seemed equally unilateral as Canada’s 18-0 victory over Slovakia to open the Olympics 12 days ago.

Much of the Canadian men's team, which is Slovakia in the semifinals Friday, so the game from the press box seats over the ice, while Michael J. Fox, Wayne Gretzky and several Canadian gold medal winners from other sports were in the stands. Several members of the U.S. men's team were there.

"We kept turning to each other after the game and say how much we love having the Olympics in Canada," four-time Olympian Jennifer Buttermilk said. "This country has supported us every time we have played, and today was a great example of that."

Jessie Vetter made 27 saves for the Americans, whose attacks evaporated front Salads and the Canadian defense. The potent power play produced 13 goals in the last four matches went 0-for-6, and Canadians consistently won most of the fighting in a physical, grinding game.

"It stings when expectations are high, and you come up short," U.S. coach Mark Johnson said.” It hurts, but certainly I think we are better off than we were 3 ½ years ago. They come home with a silver medal. It's not a bad thing."

Acosta voted tournament MVP for her Olympic-record nine-goal performance, draped a flag over himself and Sarah Vaillancourt. Coach Melody Davidson congratulated her assistants and then shared a long hug with a manager, who lifted her up off the ground, her heels in the air.

Several Americans were in tears, including four-time Olympians Angela Ruggiero and Jenny Potter, who had her two children on the ice with her for the medal presentation. The Canadian crowd raised a song of "USA!" While the players got their bouquets.

"When you give your whole life for something and you come up short, as a team, it's just terrible," Ruggiero said, choking back tears. "It is a little different than playing on the men's side. You really give your life to it. You are doing a lot of sacrifices to win the gold medal."

The only match up those matters to women's hockey was created in the semifinals on Monday, when the Americans routed Sweden and Canada clobbered Finland to finish two dominant run through the area. Canada outscored its opponents 46-2, while the Americans had a 40-2 advantage, with neither team winning by fewer than five goals.

"This rivalry will never end," Salads said. "It will keep going and going."

Canada's Jayne Hanford predicted the gold-medal match would be the best game in women's hockey history, matching the two nations with much larger talent pool and financial resources than the rest of the world combined.

It could have been the best game ever - but only for Canadians, who did not waste their time-in-a unique chance to win gold medals on home ice.

After losing Canada Cup for the U.S. team on the same ice in September, clearly Canada built on the experiences of six straight exhibition victories over the Americans in the months leading up to the Olympics, showing faster skating and smart puck movement throughout.

Canada Hockey Place crowd had jumped from 45 minutes before Potter and Wisenheimer took the opening Face Off, with competing chants of "Go Canada Go!" And "USA!" Reverberating through the field.

Davidson awaited game time to reveal that she had chosen the up-and-coming Salads of Kim St. Pierre, who won the gold medal game over the Americans in Salt Lake City in 2002.Szabados, who plays on men's college teams in Alberta, beating the Americans in the last of the four Nations Cup last autumn.

"I will never forget meeting her for the first time," said Davidson. "She said:" I have to ask you, Mel, can you give me a match against the USA? "

Both teams took early penalties, and the Americans failed to score on a two-man advantage for 39 seconds. Moments later, Poplin threw a quick walk from Buttermilk through a corridor of four American fighters for a teenager's fourth Olympic goal.

Poplin did it again 2:55 later during 4-on-4 play, collecting Acosta’s Face off win and ripping a shot that was simply too quick for Vetter to see. Poplin’s face could not hide his wide smile as she watched the replay on the overhead scoreboard.

"I can not believe that even happened," said Poplin. "I still can not believe I have that medal on my neck."

The Americans had almost 100 seconds of 5-on-3 advantage early in the second but could not connect. The drought extended into the third period, with the U.S. team to put too many of his shot high right where Salads could see them.

"Salads played out of her mind," U.S. forward Monique Lamoure said. "It's never fun losing, especially in a championship game."