Maura Crowell has another Under-18 World Championship gold medal.

The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey head coach, who doubles as the U.S. U-18 head coach, led her side to a gold medal Thursday with a 2-1 overtime win at the Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla in Bratislava, Slovakia in the 2020 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship.  Crowell, in her second year at the helm of the U-18 squad, earned a silver medal after the U.S. lost in a heartbreaking overtime final a year ago, and also has a gold medal as an assistant coach in 2018.

""It's an amazing journey to get to this game," Crowell said after the game. "To win it is another thing. For the players, the process started last spring, as it did for so many staff members. Yes, coaches, but also other people at USA Hockey who have given so much to help us even put together and pick this team. It's also been about finding the right players, and not always the best players. It's about putting the puzzle together. I'm so happy for everyone. This is life-long dream for all of those girls. Seeing those smiles after the game, that's what we're doing this for."

Team USA netted the lone goal of the first period on the power play, a wrist shot from Abbey Murphy at 14:38.  After a scoreless second period, Canada finally got on the board at 5:38 of the third period to draw the game even at 1-1.  Crowell and company, no strangers to overtime, finally ended the 3-on-3 action 16:52 into extra time.  Capitalizing on a Canada turnover outside its defensive zone, Kiara Zanon finished off a breakaway to ignite an on ice celebration, the fifth time in the last six IIHF U-18 Women's World Championships that Team USA has been golden in.

Crowell and UMD Director of Hockey Operations Nick Bryant will fly back to Duluth tomorrow and will be rinkside for the UMD-hosted MN Cup that will take place on Saturday and Sunday.  The Bulldogs will face Minnesota State University, Mankato at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.