U.S. Keeps Neighbor on Its Mind

Laura Bush wore blue as she rooted on Team Red, White and Blue. American fans waved the Stars and Stripes. The scoreboard commanded fans to “clap your hands,” and the sound system featured “YMCA,” “Get Down Tonight” and “Sweet Caroline.”

However, in Saturday’s Olympic opener for the U.S. women’s hockey team, the enthusiasm could go only so far. This is an eight-team tournament that appears all but scripted: U.S. versus Canada for the gold medal, and everything else is just practice.

The U.S. shook off the butterflies, spotted the opposing goaltender what might have been the best two periods of her life and still spanked Switzerland, 6-0. Canada toyed with the host Italians, scoring seven goals in the third period of a 16-0 rout.

“If you’re going to the casino, I’d probably bet on the U.S. and Canada,” U.S. forward Natalie Darwitz said.

And why not? In 2002, before the Canadians beat the Americans for the gold medal, the two teams won pool-play games by a combined score of 52-1. Four years later, and two games in, that combined count starts at 22-0.

The U.S. needed all of 158 seconds to score its first goal, by Katie King. The shots kept coming, but the goals did not.

“Typical first game of a tournament, getting all the jitters out,” U.S. captain Krissy Wendell said.

That, and Swiss goaltender Patricia Elsmore-Sautter, who delivered a performance Swiss Coach Rene Kammerer called “world class.” The U.S. outshot Switzerland, 56-9, so the Swiss hung in there as long as their goalie did. “She’s really as good as they come,” U.S. goalie Chanda Gunn said.

In the second period, with three U.S. players in the penalty box, Tricia Dunn-Luoma completed a breakaway by poking the puck through Elsmore-Sautter’s legs. The Americans finally had that second goal, and Bush rose from her seat to cheer.

“I’ll make her a hockey fan,” Dunn-Luoma said.

In between the second and third periods, a U.S. fan decided to approach Bush, even with Secret Service agents nearby.

“I walked up to her and gave her a pin,” said David Gunn of New York. “I’m not scared.”

Gunn extended an American flag pin, and in return he got a Secret Service pin and a picture with the first lady. Within minutes, dozens of fans swarmed Bush, who graciously posed with babies on her lap, fans with the Swiss flag painted on their cheeks and anyone else within arm’s reach.

The U.S. plays Germany tonight, and no one bothered to spout a “one game at a time” mantra on Saturday. This tournament isn’t about one game at a time. It’s about the one game at the end, for the gold medal.

“I love playing Canada,” three-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero said. “It’s the reason you train. It’s the reason you get up early in the morning to do the extra lap. When push comes to shove, they’re the ones that are going to test you.”