For the first time since the PyeongChang Games in 2018, the stars and stripes stand upon the very top of the women’s hockey podium in Milan. The nail-biting final saw Team USA defeat Canada in overtime to reclaim the Olympic gold medal. However, while Captain Hilary Knight and her team basked in glory, head coach John Wroblewski was visibly emotional.

The broadcast cameras turned their focus to him, as the 44-year-old was seen standing alone for a brief moment, overcome by the sheer weight of this victory at the sport’s grandest stage. Those tears weren’t just for the gold medal itself but for the journey this team had gone through in the past few days.

This isn’t Team USA’s first game against Canada in Milan. In their round-robin match, Wroblewski’s squad dismantled their Northern rivals 5-0, but he left a certain message for their team.

“What’s the hardest part of climbing the mountain? Getting home. If you ever feel good about climbing Mount Everest, it’s the way down. Oh, you think you’ve done something, that’s when the mountain eats you up,” Wroblewski said, wanting the women’s hockey team to focus on the later matches rather than only focusing on a group match win.

Well, the rematch was tough. Heading into the final against Canada, Team USA had outscored its opponents 31-1 throughout the tournament. However, with a tight first period, in the second period, the American squad found themselves in unknown territory after Kristin O’Neill scored for Canada. The second period ended without Team USA scoring an equalizer, and the pressure was on.

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So, with less than three minutes remaining, Hilary Knight put the puck past Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens to tie the game. This goal forced the match into overtime, and after four minutes, Megan Keller, with an assist from Taylor Heise, secured that gold medal for Team USA.

Apart from helping her team to become the Olympic champions, Knight also secured another accolade in her life at the Winter Olympics.

A great Winter Games for the Team USA captain

Before the final game against Canada, Team USA captain Hilary Knight posted a video on Instagram that captured her proposal to American speed skater Brittany Bowe.

The clip perfectly portrayed how she dropped to her knees with an engagement ring in her hands as Bowe said yes with joy. And then, Knight also revealed the reason for making this decision at the Olympic Games.

“I thought what better moment than to do it at the Olympics where we met, where we’ve spent most of our lives prepping for and just owning the world stage. It’s just been so much fun to cheer her on through her races this week, and I thought this might be a good place to have a full circle moment for us,” the Team USA captain said.

Both of them met together at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, and since then, their bond has become stronger. Well, just a few hours later, after her proposal, Knight already got back her nation’s most-awaited Olympic gold medal.