LINKOPING, Sweden – The U.S. Women’s National Team won its first-ever gold medal at the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship in Linkoping, Sweden, after defeating Canada, 1-0 in the final game of the tournament tonight. The teams skated through 80 scoreless minutes and tournament top goaltender Chanda Gunn (Huntington Beach, Calif.) turned away 26 shots before the U.S. won the decision by shootout.

Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.), Krissy Wendell  (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Angela Ruggiero  (Harper Woods, Mich.) scored in the shootout while Gunn denied three of four Canadian shooters for the win. Ruggiero’s shot was deemed the game-winner.

“For us, that was an epic,” said U.S. Head Coach Ben Smith  (Gloucester, Mass.). “These are two pretty hard-driven teams, and it seems over the years we’ve been able to bring out the best in each other.”

Team USA had previously won eight-consecutive silver medals at the Women’s World Championship which began in 1990. Tonight’s U.S. win broke a string of eight Canadian gold medals at the event.

Through 60 minutes of regulation and a 20 minute sudden-death overtime period, Team USA outshot Canada, 49-26. In the extra period, both teams killed a penalty to preserve the 0-0 tie, sending the game to a best-of-five shootout.

Darwitz opened the shootout competition, lifting a shot into the near corner and behind Canada’s Kim St. Pierre. At the other end, Sarah Vaillancourt scored what would be Canada’s only goal, also a glove-side shot to the corner. Wendell was the next successful shooter for Team USA, followed by Ruggiero. With Team USA leading the shootout three goals to one and Canada’s fourth shooter up, Gunn dropped to make the pad save and give the USA the gold medal.

Wendell, who led the field in points with nine (4-5), earned tournament MVP honors. In addition, the IIHF selected Gunn as the tournament’s top goaltender and Ruggiero as top defenseman. Ruggiero and Wendell were also named to the all-star team as selected by the media.

Notes: The Women’s World Championship gold-medal game was decided by shootout for the first time in history tonight...The crowd of 4,468 was the largest ever for a women’s ice hockey game in Sweden...CSTV will broadcast the game in the USA on a tape-delayed basis. Broadcast date(s) are TBA.