The United States ended their 46-year gold medal drought in men’s ice hockey on Sunday after a 2-1 overtime win for the stars and stripes.

The winter Olympic hockey teams are all filled with NHL stars from across the league. For the Canadians, they were led by future Hall of Famer and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, while the US had Austin Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs on their side of the ice. 

The game was tense since the moment the puck dropped. The game would eventually lead into overtime, where Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils shot the goal of his life. Hughes, who lost teeth amidst the rivalry chaos, had a whole lot to smile about just two minutes into the extra period. Not only did he have the “golden goal” to its name, but now there is a historic gold medal to be worn around his neck.

U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets had the performance of any athlete’s dreams. For 41 saves on the night, Hellebuyck secured the team MVP. 

There was a lot of chatter going into this matchup. The U.S. had not beaten Canada since 1996, but all that did for the team was add some fuel to the fire. 

“It was a gold or nothing mentality for the fans,” said junior Nick Brunner.

“It was a really cool game to watch, and I’m glad the finally pulled off such a big win” said junior Matilda McDonald.