After bust, bronze only hope left for U.S. women
11:09 PM CST on Friday, February 17, 2006
TURIN, Italy – The U.S. women's hockey team is on the outside looking in at the Olympic gold-medal game for the first time, in part because Sweden used a little American inspiration of its own. The U.S. team was stunned in Friday's first semifinal by Sweden, 3-2 in a shootout. It was the first loss for the Americans in 64 games against teams other than Canada and relegated them to Monday's bronze-medal game with Finland. "It stings. I'm in shock," said U.S. defender Angela Ruggiero, one of four players who had played in finals in 1998 and 2002 that produced one gold and one silver. Sweden goaltender Kim Martin noted that the team collectively watched the movie Miracle during camp last summer, absorbing the tale of the U.S. upstarts who shocked the experienced Soviet men en route to their unlikely hockey gold in 1980. And many of the players have watched it again and again on their own. "That's why we won," she said. Said teammate Maria Rooth, who scored both regulation goals plus the shootout clincher: "They had all the pressure. They had absolutely all the pressure." Pick some numbers, and they'd indicate the Americans would win. The Americans owned a 12-0 record against Sweden, winning two Olympic meetings by a combined 11-1. There are 50,489 registered women's hockey players in the U.S. and only 3,099 in Sweden. And, on Friday, the Americans outshot Sweden 39-18 – including 27-9 through two periods. The tangible skills of Martin and Rooth certainly helped take over where the spirit of Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig left off. Martin is one of the world's top women's goalies, already assured of a second Olympic medal at age 19. She kept Sweden in the game despite a constant barrage of shots by the Americans, then blanked all comers in the shootout. "The goalie might get into their heads," U.S. coach Ben Smith said of his players. "When goalies play well, it gives their team more reasons to compete. And Sweden did compete." Both of Rooth's goals came after the Americans lost the puck behind their net. The first came when she wasn't even facing the target, sliding a blind backhander beneath Chanda Gunn. The second came short-handed. "As with any other team you're playing, if you forecheck their defenders, they might throw some pucks away," said Rooth, a former Minnesota-Duluth standout who has five goals in four games here. Rooth's shootout score gave Sweden a 2-0 lead after four rounds. She took the same approach that worked on the previous attempt by Pernilla Winberg. Both left-handed shooters came in from Gunn's left, skated across the crease and shot low to her right. "I felt confident," said a teary-eyed Gunn. "I just wish I could have stopped one or two more." The U.S. took a 2-0 lead early in the second on its second power-play goal. But the Americans failed to convert after Sweden took three penalties in less than two minutes midway through the period. They were on the power play for almost four minutes, with a 5-on-3 advantage for almost two. Team USA's Natalie Darwitz said reality probably won't kick in until the team reports for practice before playing Finland again. Said teammate Jenny Potter, another three-time Olympian: "We have another game. We have to walk away with something." E-mail jmiller@dallasnews.com 