Canada defeated United States 2-0 in Thursday’s Vancouver Winter Olympics women’s ice hockey gold medal final, giving the hosts their third consecutive crown. The Americans, reigning world champions, settled for a silver medal while Finland took the bronze with an earlier 3-2 over-time triumph over Sweden.
Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice in the first period and goaltender Shannon Szabados made 28 saves to give Canada a 2-0 victory over the United States in Thursday’s Winter Olympic gold medal final.
The Canadians captured their third consecutive Olympic crown by defeating the two-time reigning world champions in a border war arch-rivalry between the sport’s only two women’s powers.
The Americans settled for a silver medal while Finland took the bronze with an earlier 3-2 over-time triumph over Sweden.
Poulin opened the scoring 13:55 into the first period off a pass from Jennifer Botterill and found the net again just 2:55 later with an assist from Meghan Agosta to give Canada the final margin as defenses then dominated.
Canada won the 2002 and 2006 Olympic gold medals and dominated a pre-Olympic exhibition series against the Americans, who won the first Olympic women’s title in 1998.
Canada and America have met for every major global title except the 2006 Olympic final after Sweden upset the US women in the semi-finals.

source: www.vancouver2010.com