Lakewood Hockey Player Now Olympic Gold Medalist

GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA — A Colorado athlete helped the United States win its first medal in women's hockey since 1998, defeating Canada 3-2 in a shootout final. Although she didn't play in the final nail-biter game, Lakewood's Nicole Hensley helped the team break through.

The win for Hensley, 22, and her teammates breaks a gold medal game losing streak which saw them drop the final to Canada at three of the last four Olympics.

The tense back-and-forth final needed a shootout to decide the goal medal after a 2-2 draw through regulation and a 4-on-4 overtime period. Going into the sixth shootout frame tied 2-2, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson faked out Canadian goalie Shannon Szabados with a highlight-reel deke for the go-ahead score.

American netminder Maddie Rooney was on duty in the final game. She denied Meghan Agosta a chance to extend the game, ending the shootout and Canada's reign as the Olympic champions of women's hockey.

Earlier in the games, with tension over the Russian women's team, a mini-controversy reportedly broke out early on about the images of the Statue of Liberty on Hensley's goalie mask. The IOS and the Russian team allegedly considered the images to be a political statement, the Denver Post said. The "uproar" was later characterized as a "misunderstanding," by team officials on both sides.

Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul posted a letter on Facebook from Vice President Michael Pence congratulating Hensley.

"On behalf of the American people, I want you to know how proud we are of your community for representing America on the world stage. Please know that I will be rooting for Nicole and rallying behind Team U.S.A. as they compete in the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in #PyeongChang2018." Good luck against Russia, Nicole!" Pence wrote.

Hensley was born in Littleton and attended Rooney Ranch Elementary, Dustan Middle School and Green Mountain High School. She attended college at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, where she played on the hockey team.

The U.S. last won the gold medal at the 1998 games in Nagano.

— City News Service and Patch Editor Daniel Libon contributed to this report.

Lead Image: GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Nicole Hensley #29 of the United States tends goal in the second period against Olympic Athletes from Russia during the Women's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round - Group A game on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Kwandong Hockey Centre on February 13, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)