The United States women's hockey team have won the gold in the Pyeongchang Olympics, a historical victory which will be remembered for a very long time. For the first time since 1998, USA women are on top of the Olympic hockey world after defeating Canada 3-2 in a six round shootout. It was a game for the ages as the USA came back from a late 2-1 deficit in the third to force overtime. It was not just a story of victory, but also one of redemption as the memories of the 2014 Olympics were still fresh in their minds.

For USA hockey fans, today feels very special.

While celebrating the women's victory, many also remember that it is the anniversary of the "Miracle On Ice" when team USA beat the Soviets in the 1980 games. One can say that this is the next chapter of the USA's miracle on ice. It has been nearly 40 years since the first miracle on ice, but it is still remembered so well to this day, and it is safe to say this one will be as well.

Redemption

The word "redemption" is tossed around so much with this win, and for good reason. It was just in 2014 when the USA women were on the verge of gold in Sochi. They saw a 2-0 lead with 3:30 left to go slip away and eventually lost to team Canada in overtime. The looks of pure heartbreak on their faces when they got their silver medals was tough to watch.

Even on the broadcast's last night, the players were quoted regarding that game in 2014 that not a day goes by when they do not think of it. This victory can put many of those minds at ease now. 2014 may not seem like a long time ago, but four years can be a long time for a heartbreaking loss to loom over one's head. While they seemed so full of joy last night, a lot of the vibe seemed to be just relief and a huge weight off their shoulders.

Inspiration and legacy

A win like this gives the USA women a lot more deserved attention. This is a team that was inspired by the last women's team to win the gold in 1998, and hopes to inspire the next wave of USA women's hockey players. USA's Kendall Coyne was quoted by NBC Sports when she spoke with the IIHF.

"It’s unbelievable.

A lot of us are here because of the ‘98 team. We were inspired by their victory. So hopefully there’s a ton of girls that pick up hockey in The United States and all over the world. This was a tremendous win, and the future generations are really going to soar from it as well."

Not only overcoming the talent of Canada, but also overcoming the shadow of 2014 is no doubt inspirational. Coyne's words speak for themselves. Like the 1980 Olympics, this win had a "Hollywood script" feel to it with the intense overtime and amazing plays on both ends in the shootout. Those moments make games like this so memorable. For years people will re-watch the highlights of Jocelyne Lamoureaux-Davidson's incredible sixth round shootout goal, Maddie Rooney's game-winning save and Hilary Knight skating around with the flag.
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