Story #83

Nancy Drolet is the first woman to score two overtime goals for gold

MISSISSAUGA, Canada – April 9, 2000
Since women's hockey became part of the IIHF's annual program in 1990 and the IOC's program eight years later, there have been only nine playoff games that went to overtime or a shootout. Five were game-winning shots and four were decided in the overtime. Two games involved Canada, and the hero each time was Nancy Drolet.

Drolet was a member of Team Canada for a decade (1992-2001) during which time she averaged better than a point a game (44 career points in 36 World Championship or Olympics games). None of her goals was bigger than the one on April 6, 1997, in Kitchener, Ontario, when she gave Canada a gold medal at the expense of USA.

Canada got to the final game with a perfect record, but USA had to overcome a 3-3 tie with Finland during the round robin to earn a place in the finals. That game saw the Americans jump into a lead only to have Canada tie the game 3-3 in the third period. At 12:59 of OT, Drolet scored the winner to keep Canada perfect in World Championship competition.

Three years later, under similar circumstances, Drolet struck again. The 2000 World Women's Championships took place in Mississauga, Ontario; the gold-medal game was another Canada-USA affair; and, the score was tied 2-2 after 60 minutes. Again, though, Drolet scored, this time at 6:50, and again Canada claimed gold and relegated USA to silver.

Just as the Canadian men have proved particularly adroit in overtime over the years, so, too, have the women—thanks in large part to Nancy Drolet.

About the Top 100 Stories

As part of the IIHF's 100th anniversary celebrations, www.IIHF.com is featuring the 100 top international hockey stories from the past century (1908-2008). Starting now and continuing through the 2008 IIHF World Championships in Canada, we will bring you approximately three stories a week counting down from Number 100 to Number 11.

 

The Final Top 10 Countdown will be one of the highlights of the IIHF's Centennial Gala Evening in Quebec City on May 17, the day prior to the Gold Medal Game of the 2008 World Championship.

 

These are the criteria for inclusion on this list: First, the story has to have had a considerable influence on international hockey. Second, it has to have had either a major immediate impact or a long-lasting significance on the game. Third, although it doesn't necessarily have to be about top players, the story does have to pertain to the highest level of play, notably Olympics, World Championships, and the like. The story can be about a single moment — a goal, a great save, a referee's call — or about an historic event of longer duration — a game, series, tournament, or rule change.

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