Riveting Night. Riveting USA – Canada Game. Riveting Photos.

We all had hoped for a much better outcome on Sunday night, but Team USA and Canada put on a show at the Adirondack Bank Center that might never be duplicated. It truly will go down in history as one of the most exciting hockey games I've ever seen.

When the dust had settled, it was a "too many players on the ice" penalty that gave Canada the opportunity to score the overtime goal that won them the gold medal. It was probably also the intense energy on the ice and in the arena that prompted the forced error that left the Americans ultimately devastated. After all, a penalty like that one was far from common for this young group of amazingly talented hockey players.

The game was exhausting to watch, but one you couldn't take your eyes off. A back and forth fast game that showed immense talent for both teams - and lead changes that almost became difficult to keep track of. Photo journalist Nancy L. Ford who was taking pictures for WIBX said the game was so fast and so back and forth that is was hard for her to shoot it.  (Check out her amazing photos at the bottom of this story - she clearly had no problem keeping up with the game)

Honestly, the gold medal could have gone to either team as they both put on a performance that could have won the game. But in sports, we live by win or lose rules that negate the razor thin difference between the performances by both squads, awarding the winner with 100-percent of the glory. In the end, it's all or nothing in this world of competition, but as fans of Team USA, it's okay to give yourself the leeway to consider the accomplishments of both teams, including the runner-up. It what fans do!

I guess I can now call myself a huge fan of the USA Women's Hockey Team. And during this two weeks, I suspect these two teams hav done more for the sport of women's hockey than anyone had ever imagined possible. Fans watched on and cheered, not as if this was a women's hockey game - but as if this was just a game of hockey - which just so happened to be one of the most exciting games ever. That's a big accomplishment.

After the game and just before Canada was awarded the cup, the IIHF sang the praises of Rob Esche, Tony Picente and Utica.

“I would like to congratulate USA Hockey, about the quality of the organization and about their choice to come here,” IIHF President Luc Tardif said.  “Utica is a hockey town, and I would like to thank Robert Esche and the organization for the setup. We now know where Utica is and we know that there is passion for ice hockey in this hockey town.”

The women who played over the last two weeks have definitely served as amazing ambassadors for the sport, especially when you looked in the stands and saw so many young girls enthusiastically cheering for their favorite team and players. These future hockey players knew names and they brought signs along to prove it.

One young girl had already learned the art of hockey "smack talk" as she held a sign that simply read, "Your bacon is just ham," referring to Canadian Bacon.

Today, there are 209,966 registered female players across the 81 nations with IIHF memberships and 208,054 players in the 40 women’s national teams ranked by the federation. 81.69 percent (171,540) of those players are in the U.S. and Canada, according to IIHF.

I'll bet the number will grow even faster after this week. I know I for one, can't wait to follow the careers of many of these young women as we head towards the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. There's no doubt these ladies gained thousands of new fans and well deserved notoriety during their stay and play here in Utica, NY.  They earned every bit of it.

Congratulations Canada. Congratulations Team USA. You're both winners in my book.