Boston College Athletics

They needed 80:00 minutes and a shootout to determine the outcome, but when the final horn blew, five of Boston College's finest women's hockey players became gold medalists at the 2018 Olympic Games after the U.S. Women's National Team topped Canada, 3-2, after a six-round shootout in PyeongChang on Thursday afternoon.
 
The five members – past and present – who are the newest U.S. gold medalists include alumnae Emily Pfalzer '15 and Haley Skarupa '16 and current players Cayla Barnes '22, Kali Flanagan '19 and Megan Keller '19.
 
To learn about the Eagles' 2018 Olympians and their varied paths to South Korea, click HERE
 
The U.S. snapped Canada's four-Games run of gold medals – which began in 2002 and continued through 2014 – and earned the top spot on the podium 20 years after the introduction of women's hockey in the Olympic Games in 1998.
 
That year, the U.S. won its only gold medal in Olympic play. BC head coach Katie (King) Crowley was a member of that team and has helped tutor the next generation of players to the country's second gold medal.
 
All five players had significant roles in the United States' run to the gold medal, each playing all five games. In the gold medal game, the four defensemen – Barnes, Flanagan, Keller and Pfalzer – played heavy minutes, including repeated shifts during the back-and-forth 20-minute, 4-on-4 overtime period.
 
Keller finished the tournament with two assists, both coming in games against Finland – one in the group play round and one in the semifinals.
 
With this year's class of Olympians, the Boston College women's hockey program has now featured eight players who have medaled at the Olympic Games. Kelli Stack '11 (2010, 2014), Molly Schaus (2010, 2014) and Alex Carpenter '16 (2014) were the first three Eagles to earn medals, all silver. Additionally, Crowley was a three-time Olympian (1998, 2002, 2006), winning gold, silver and bronze, and associated head coach Courtney Kennedy was a two-time Olympian (2002, 2006), earning silver and bronze.