Vancouver Olympics

Team USA Loses Gold Medal Game to Team Canada in OT

Monday, March 1st, 2010 | Olympics Vancouver, Sports, Vancouver Olympics, Winter Olympics | No Comments

The Gold Medal Game lived up to all the hype – but in the end, Team USA lost a heart-breaker to Team Canada 3-2 in OT.

It looked like it could get ugly after Canada took a 2-0 lead on goals from Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry at the 30 minute mark. But Ryan Kesler got Team USA on the board with just over 7 minutes left in the 2nd period to cut the Canadian lead to 2-1. Canada kept the pressure on USA goalie Ryan Miller and the US still trailed with less than a minute to play in regulation. But Zach Parise’s put back goal in front of the net with only 25 seconds left in the game sent the contest into overtime. What more could you ask for?

Sidney Crosby’s goal just over 7 minutes into the extra period eventually gave Team Canada the Gold Medal win, but you have to give the US team all the credit in the world. Top-to-bottom, Team Canada clearly had the better team. Come on, Team USA wasn’t even supposed to make it into the title game with its “inferior” team. Team USA knocked off Canada 5-3 in the preliminary round of play and took the Canadians to the brink off elimination in what would have been a devastating loss for the team and it’s country on home ice in Vancouver. Ryan Miller was clearly the best goalie in the Vancouver Olympics this year and it was a great run by a spirited US hockey squad. Congrats guys – you made us proud and made it fun to watch international hockey on the grandest of scales…

Tags: Ryan Kesler, Ryan Miller, Team Canada, Team USA, Zach Parise

Team USA Crushes Finland, Advances to Gold Medal Game

Friday, February 26th, 2010 | Olympics Vancouver, Sports, Vancouver Olympics, Winter Olympics | No Comments

Team USA came out firing on all cylinders in today’s Semifinals match-up (a 6-1 drubbing) against Finland. Team USA scored 4 goals off of Finland Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff and took a commanding 6-0 lead after just 20 minutes of play. USA Goalie Ryan Miller put forth another solid effort – stopping all 18 shots he faced through the 1st 2 periods and 9 minutes of the 3rd period. Back-up goalie Tim Thomas replaced him in his 1st 2010 Olympics action and gave up 1 goal on a deflection with just over 5 minutes left in the game. Team USA will face the winner of the Slovakia-Canada Semifinal game to be played tonight.

Team USA goals came from Ryan Malone, Zach Parise, Erik Johnson, Patrick Kane (2) and Paul Stastny.

Team USA defeated Canada 5-3 in a hard-fought game this past Sunday which brought an end to the preliminary round of Olympics hockey. It was a major upset and a rematch would be one of the most highly-anticipated Olympics-hockey game in recent history…

Tags: Patrick Kane, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise

Team USA Hockey Beats Switzerland 2-0 to Reach “Final Four”

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 | Olympics Vancouver, Sports, Vancouver Olympics, Winter Olympics | No Comments

Team USA became the 1st team to reach the men’s hockey semi-finals with a tough 2-0 win over the Swiss. After 2 scoreless periods, Zach Parise gave Team USA the 1-0 lead with a power play goal just minutes into the 3rd period. Parise also scored the clinching goal with an empty-netter with just seconds left in the game.

Team USA Goalie Ryan Miller was stellar again in net – stopping all 19 Swiss shots – and helped the team win its 4th straight Olympics hockey game. But the real story was Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller (of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks) who stopped all but 1 of Team USA’s 44 shots on goal. Hiller fought off all of the USA pressure and put forth one of the best goaltending performances in Olympics history.

Team USA will face the winner of the Czech Republic – Finland quarterfinal match-up later tonight. The winners of the Russia-Canada and Slovakia-Sweden quarterfinal games will square off in the other semifinal game on Friday. How great would it be to see a Team USA – Team Canada Gold Medal Game on Sunday afternoon?!

Tags: Ryan Miller, Team Canada, Team Switzerland, Team USA

Olympic Medal update Tuesday

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | Vancouver Olympics | No Comments

				Total
United States	7	8	10	25
Germany	7	9	5	21
Norway	6	3	5	14
Russia	2	3	6	11
Canada	5	4	1	10

Tags: Olympic Medals

Lindsey Vonn Wins Gold Medal in Women’s Apline Downhill Race

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 | Olympics Vancouver, Sports, Vancouver Olympics, Winter Olympics | No Comments

Lindsey Vonn captured the Gold Medal in the women’s Alpine Downhill race in Vancouver today. Dealing with a painful bruised shin suffered during Olympics training, it was a huge win for Vonn. “This is everything I’ve wanted and hoped for” said a thrilled Vonn after the race results posted. Fellow American Julia Mancuso took a surprise Silver Medal in the competitive field. It was the 3rd time that 2 Americans have finished in 1st and 2nd place in an Olympic Alpin skiing event, but the first time since the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo.

Vonn had also been dealing with criticism for her “risque” cover pose on Sports Illustrated Olympics Preview issue and for appearing in SI’s Swimsuit Issue. She put all of her critics to rest with a stellar performance on the slopes today. Congrats Lindsey!