CANADA DEFEATS AMERICA TO TAKE WOMAN'S GOLD ON THE RINK

he U.S. women's hockey team was hoping the pressure of playing at home would weigh too heavily on its Canadian opponents in Thursday's gold-medal game. Instead, a capacity crowd at Canada Hockey Place that included Wayne Gretzky and actor Michael J. Fox, paired with a superhuman effort by Canadian goaltender Shannon Szabados, lifted Team Canada to its third consecutive Olympic gold medal. Canada's 2-0 victory gave the hockey-crazed Olympic host country its most treasured medal to date in this Games. That precious gold came at the expense of a U.S. women's team looking to reverse its Olympic fortunes. (USA Today)