SPORTS BRIEF: Women’s Hockey Alums Nab Medals at Olympic Games in Vancouver

For two Harvard alumnae, their Olympic dreams came true last night.

And for three more, the 2010 Games end with a disappointing silver.

Jennifer Botterill ’02-’03 and Sarah Vaillancourt ’08-’09 took home Olympic gold in front of a home crowd at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver last night, as the Canadian women’s hockey team defeated the United States, 2-0.

Canada jumped out to a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the game, when Botterill gave a nice feed to teammate Marie-Philip Poulin-Nadeau—just after the Americans were held scoreless on a 5-on-3 power play.

Three minutes later, Poulin-Nadeau lit the lamp again, and though American goaltender Jessie Vetter would settle down to play spectacular hockey in the second two periods, Canadian netminder Shannon Szabados was unbeatable.

Szabados made 28 saves to earn the clean sheet and help the Canadians to their third-straight gold medal.

For Americans Angela Ruggiero ’02-’04, Julie Chu ’06-’07, and Caitlin Cahow ’07-’08, the silver medal will have to do.

Ruggiero, who played in her record-251st game for Team USA, will likely retire after these Games. She was elected to the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday.

It is the fourth medal for Ruggiero and Botterill, the third for Chu, and the second for Cahow and Vaillancourt.

All five alumnae had multi-point tournaments, with Vaillancourt leading Harvard scorers with eight points on three goals and five assists.

—KATE LEIST