Overtime goal gives Canada men's ice hockey gold

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-01 08:51

VANCOUVER: A goal from Sydney Crosby in overtime helped Canada beat the United States 3-2 in men's hockey final at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Sunday and sent the country into sea of joy.

Overtime goal gives Canada men's ice hockey gold

Canada's Patrice Bergeron (L-R), Ryan Getzlaf, Rick Nash and Sidney Crosby celebrate with their gold medals after their win over the U.S. in the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics February 28, 2010. [Agencies]

"It doesn't even feel real. It feels like a dream," said Crosby, who scored a backhand goal 7:40 into overtime after the two teams tied 2-2 in three periods of match.

The goal also made Canada the first team to win eight gold medals in men's ice hockey. And with the gold, Canada leads the medal standings with 14 golds, a record number in winter Olympic history.

Jonathan Toews scored in the first period and Corey Perry made it 2-0 in the second for Canada. The United States cut the deficit in half with Ryan Kesler's goal later in the second. And Zach Parise made it 2-2 with just 24.4 seconds to play.

The United States, who returned home with the most medals at 37, failed to get revenge for their loss to Canada in the gold medal match at Salt Lake City 2002.

"We fought right to the end, obviously. Every guy in the room believed that we could get the job done and we made it to overtime and it was a great play by two great players," said American Ryan Malone. "Maybe later on down the road when you are older and your career is over, it's obviously nice. Right now we came for a gold so we're disappointed."