CANADIAN WOMEN GET HOCKEY GOLD HEAVILY FAVORED U.S. UPSET IN FINAL CANADA 3, USA 2.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - The U.S. women's hockey team was so powerful for so long, Canada was stunned when it looked at the Americans on Thursday night and saw fear.

Canada quickly realized in the Olympic gold-medal game that its eight losses to the U.S. earlier this season meant nothing.

All that mattered was now. After jumping to an early lead and overcoming a late surge by the U.S., Canada held on for a 3-2 victory for the country's first hockey gold medal in 50 years.

``They came out tentative and we could all feel that,'' Hayley Wickenheiser said. ``We believed in each other and stayed calm. We could see in our eyes and we could see it in their eyes.''

For The U.S., it was its first defeat in 35 games, since a loss last August to the Canadians at the gold-medal game at the World Championships.

Since then the Americans appeared to have built an even better team than the one that took gold at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. They blew through the early portion of these Olympics but did not dominate Tuesday in their 4-0 semifinal victory over Sweden.

Thursday was more of the same.

``It's a little bit of a stinger when you don't achieve your goal,'' U.S. captain Cammi Granato said. ``You think that you are disappointing your family and friends. You know that it isn't true, but it goes through your mind. You have a numb feeling.''

The difference Thursday was special teams. The U.S. went on the power play four times in the first period and came away trailing 1-0.

Caroline Ouellette had given Canada a 1-0 lead just 1:45 into the game, but the U.S. certainly had plenty of opportunity to tie.

It was the first goal allowed by Sara DeCosta in the Olympics and the first time the U.S. trailed in the tournament.

As with many games where a heavy favorite loses, there were missed opportunities.

The Canadians survived two first-period five-on-three situations to take the lead into the second period.

Canada was back in the penalty box at 1:59 mark of the second when Katie King scored to tie the game.

In a theme that has haunted the Olympics, Canada coach Daniele Sauvageau was livid with the penalties and later called the officiating ''atrocious.''

But despite nine U.S. power-play opportunities, the Canadians remained focused. They re-took the lead for good just two minutes later on a goal by Wickenheiser. Goaltender Kim St-Pierre stopped 25 of 27 shots.

Another missed U.S. opportunity came shortly after Wickenheiser's goal. Karyn Bye just missed tying the game when her shot went through the crease and off the far post. Krissy Wendell raised her arms in celebration, but there was no goal. Canada seized on the missed opportunity. With time winding down in the second period, Jayne Hefford scored to give Canada a 3-1 lead.

--In the bronze-medal game: Evelina Samuelsson's two first-period goals lifted Sweden to a 2-1 victory over Finland in the women's ice hockey bronze-medal game.

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

NBC - 3 to 4 p.m.: speedskating: men's 10,000 meters. 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.: skiing: women's giant slalom; Nordic combined: sprint, 7.5K cross-country. 8:45 to 11 p.m.: figure skating: champion's gala; bobsled: four-man. 11:35 p.m. to 1:05 a.m.: Day 15 highlights.

MSNBC - 10 to 10:45 a.m.: curling: men's bronze-medal game. 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: men's hockey semifinal: Canada vs. Belarus. 1:30 to 4 p.m.: curling: men's gold-medal game.

CNBC - 3 to 6 p.m.: men's hockey semifinal: U.S. vs. Russia.

SALT LAKE CITY WEATHER

Sunny

High: 54

Low: 38

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Caroline Ouellette of Canada celebrates her first-period goal during the gold-medal women's hockey game Thursday against the U.S.

Tom Hanson/Associated Press

(2) Members of the Canadian women's hockey team congratulate one another after capturing the gold medal with a 3-2 victory.

Paul Chiasson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS (see text)

(2) SALT LAKE CITY WEATHER (see text)

(3) MEDAL COUNT