Meghan Duggan's dream of bringing an Olympic medal home to Danvers has come true. But her ultimate vision of taking home gold will have to wait until 2014.
Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice in the first period and Team USA couldn't crack goaltender Shannon Szabados as Canada skated away with a 2-0 win in the women's hockey gold medal game at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver.
Duggan had tears in her eyes as the silver medal was draped around her neck. Winning the silver doesn't feel like a victory when its awarded minutes after the Americans' only loss in these Olympics.
It will in time. The 22-year-old Duggan adds an Olympic silver medal to a hockey resume that already includes a pair of IIHF World Championships and two NCAA national titles.
Playing the villains in front of a boisterous, partisan crowd in Vancouver, the Americans couldn't put one past the 23-year-old Szabados, who made 28 saves to shutout a Team USA attack that scored 40 goals in four other Olympic contests.
The biggest moment of the game came when Team USA failed to cash in on a lengthy 5-on-3 chance caused by consecutive delay of game mistakes by Canada early in the second. It was the second two-man advantage killed by Canada in the game. In all an 0-for-6 effort on the powerplay was Team USA's undoing.
Duggan had a chance to cut Canada's lead in half with 1:30 to go in the second, but her tap-in try was sticked away by Szabados. The University of Wisconsin star also nearly scored when she tipped an Angela Ruggerio blast from the point just wide with six minutes left in the game.
Team USA goalie Jessie Vetter, a teammate of Duggan's from Wisconsin, stood on her head for portions of the game. She made 27 saves and kept the game close after being beaten by the 18-year-old Poulin on two early markers.
Duggan finished up her first Olympics with four goals, which was tied for the second most among American skaters. She notched her first lifetime Olympic tally in the opener against China and was an integral part of helping Team USA win its group and paste Sweeden 9-1 in the semifinal.
Having completed only three collegiate seasons, Duggan is expected to return to Wisconsin for the 2010-11 season and should be back in the international game at next year's IIHF Worlds.
