Wednesday night when the U.S.A. Women’s Hockey Team came from behind to tie Canada in regulation then stayed tied in overtime and won on the last shot during a shootout you could see the pandemonium on the ice.
If you were with Cate Wade you'd have seen it in Portland, Oregon too.
“I was up in a local bar and the whole place just erupted. I mean it was so tense for so long!" Wade said.
She grew up playing hockey and plays in an adult rec team in Portland. She believes the win will inspire more girls and women to get on the ice.
“There's excitement here. There's just a smaller batch of us. And I hope this just grows the game for everybody, for girls, for women, for everybody,” she said.
She suggested girls interested in ice hockey in Portland check out http://www.rosecityhockeyclub.com/
The U.S. women also won gold on the cross country skiing, something they'd never done at the Olympics, in fact they'd never won a medal of any sort.
“To be able to go out there and execute the race we wanted with Jesse and to see her bring it home and win gold! Such an amazing validation for all we've been working for!" said Gold Medalist Kikkan Randall.
In Portland, cross country ski tour leader Teri Smith cheered with everyone else. She’s a long time Nordic skier who leads winter tours for women through a company called Bicycle Adventures.
“Cross country skiing, Nordic skiing, dreams right? You think of something that you want to do. You work for it. You make it happen. Fortitude, strength, focus and don't forget multi-tasking!"
Wednesday was an impressive showing by the U.S. women, one that inspires many and for good reason.
“They're so smart, so kind,” said Kimberly Davis who stopped in downtown Portland to talk about the Olympians.
“Strong women, they work hard. I mean it’s a real commitment to be an athlete of any kind. They're just showing that they can do it and they can do it well,” she said.
Indeed they can.