Fans gather to catch gold medal clash between Canada and USA

As another chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in sports was written, fans made it out to watch it unfold in Regina.

A dedicated group of hockey fans showed up to watch the Canadian Women’s hockey team battle its rivals – the Americans  – for an Olympic gold medal at Boston Pizza Acre 21 on Thursday afternoon.

“Nothing better,” Dion Moldovan said. “They are a lot more aggressive in this game than they were the first game. It’s a better game but this is what it’s all about. Tight games means good competition, which means great players.”

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“It’s a really great rivalry,” Matthew Langille-King said. “It’s the two best hockey countries in the world going at it. It always seems to be Canada and the USA the last whatever amount of years it’s been – same with the men’s there.”

Leon Friesen has a unique connection to the rivalry as his daughter, Jackie Crum, is a coach with the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Crum has coached a number of the players who were participating in Thursday’s gold medal game, including Canadians Sarah Nurse, Emily Clark, Blayre Turnbull, Daryl Watts and Ann-Renée Desbiens.

“It’s fantastic,” Friesen said. “We love hockey and love watching the rivalry. We have watched so many of these players through the college hockey years so we recognize a lot of them.

“We know a good half of the players who are on the ice for both teams and have watched them for their whole career. You recognize them by not just the number but how they are skating and you know who that player is. It’s a lot of fun for us.”

Friesen said Crum is “very much involved” in recruiting and developing these players through the college program.

U18 AAA Regina Rebels assistant coach Shaelyn Myers (centre left) and captain Anna Benoit (centre left) joined The Green Zone to discuss women’s hockey and the gold medal game (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Also watching the game intently were members of the U18 AAA Regina Rebels hockey team. Captain Anna Benoit admitted while watching those games, she thinks about what it would be like to play in one.

“I could just feel myself in a high-intensity game and just getting nervous for them in their shoes,” Benoit said.

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Regina Rebels assistant coach, Shaelyn Myers, said its been amazing to see the growth of women’s hockey and all the new opportunities that are out there.

“It’s been amazing to be a part of. I’m at the right age where I got to be in the first year of the U22 league and now, the first year of this senior league,” Myers said. “Just to have the opportunity to continue playing the sport that shapes and moulds young girls all the way until you’re an old lady is very important and something I’ve always looked forward to.”

For Canadians fans watching the game, it ended in heartbreaking loss.

After scoring the opening goal of the game in the second period, the Canadians were just two minutes away from victory when American captain Hilary Knight scored the equalizer. The U.S. scored again in overtime to claim the Olympic gold medal.

“It’s disappointing,” Myers said. “Your heart is racing the whole time and you’re just cheering so much for them but the U.S. has a dynamic team so not something we can take to heart.”

Langille-King called it a “disappointing finish.

“They played really hard,” she said. “Nothing to hold our head down in shame (about).”

“It was an exciting game. Two fantastic teams playing and one has to win and I think we can still hold our heads up high. It’s a great day for hockey and we enjoyed it today,” Friesen added.