Kendall Coyne Wins Gold As U.S. Women's Hockey Team Beats Canada

GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Kendall Coyne — the pride of Palos Heights and the south suburbs — wore Olympic gold early Thursday morning as the U.S. women's hockey team beat Canada in an improbable victory — the first for American women in 20 years.

The women's gold-medal hockey win — 38 years to the day after the famous "Miracle on Ice" at Lake Placid — came in a 3-2 thriller against the U.S. team's greatest rival and ended Canada's bid for a fifth straight gold. This win is one for the history books, too.

After the game, Coyne celebrated with her teammates, skating across the ice with fellow forward Hilary Knight while holding an American flag overhead. (Knight grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois.) This is Coyne's second Olympic medal. In 2014, competing in Sochi, Russia, the women's hockey team won a silver medal. Canada took the gold that year.

The 2018 Olympic victory is a storybook ending for this team.

The game ended in a 2-2 tie, and no one scored in the 20-minute overtime period. A penalty shootout also ended in a tie, sending the game to a sudden-death shootout where Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, a three-time Olympian, slid the puck past the Canadian goalie with a dazzling move. Then, U.S. goalie Maddie Rooney shut down the Canadian shot to end the game.

"It is everything for our country," U.S. coach Robb Stauber said. "I am just so thankful for the outcome. It was a thrilling final. It was unreal."

A graduate of Sandburg High School, Coyne played hockey for two years at Northeastern University. Coyne, 25, attended Palos West Elementary and Palos South Middle School. She was born in Oak Lawn.

She's the daughter of John and Ahlise Coyne and has two brothers, Kevin and Jake, and one sister, Bailey. She's engaged to NFL player Michael Schofield, a fellow Sandburg graduate and a Super Bowl winner with the Denver Broncos. He now plays for the L.A. Chargers. (With her gold and silver medals, perhaps now she'll beat out Schofield as the top Sandburg athlete of all time.)

Beating Canada in a big game is not a new experience for Coyne. She was a member of the 2013 world championship team that knocked off Canada. Coyne had a goal and three assists during the 2013 world championship.

As a member of the U.S. Women's National Team, she has played in six International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championships (gold-2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017; silver-2012), seven Four Nations Cups (1st-2011, 2012. 2015, 2016; 2nd-2010, 2014; 3rd-2013) and one IIHF Twelve Nations Invitational Tournament Series (2011).

In 2016, Coyne won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. And in 2017, Coyne received the NCAA Today's Top 10 Award.

Coyne shared some insight into her personality in her Olympics bio, noting she'd be a doctor if she weren't playing hockey because "she loves helping people."

She also shared some of her personal motivators and inspirational quotes.

• "Be the change that you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi
• Everything happens for a reason
• Pressure makes diamonds so you can either become a diamond or crush under pressure
• Iron sharpens iron

Related: Who Are the Illinoisans Competing In the Games?

Beyond thankful my family and I are able to experience this journey together (minus the doggies). THANK YOU EVERYONE, for the love and support! Gold medal game Wednesday at 10:10pm (CST)!! #ohana #lastonebestone #teamusa pic.twitter.com/xWTR7MKroI
— Kendall Coyne (@KendallCoyne) February 19, 2018

main photo: Gold medal winners Kendall Coyne #26 and Hilary Knight #21 of the United States celebrate after defeating Canada in a shootout in the Women's Gold Medal Game on February 22, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)