Good bye to Angela

She was a victim, both Gold-medal goals scored at even strength while she was on the ice, but that is hardly a fair assessment of her play in what in all likelihood was her final game of organized hockey. She led all players with 6 shots on goal and over 27 minutes of playing time. she generated offense singlehandedly in the first period, went into combat with Gillian Apps in the second period, and pushed the play relentlessly in the third period until it was over.

A Harvard-trained spokesperson who is currently getting her Masters from the U. of Minnesota in media, was red-eyed puddle of tears in the mixed zone, as teammates Chu and Potter took the mics trying to explain how they failed in this one-game tournament.

Ruggiero always has so many distractions in her life, you imagine they plague her mind when she plays. A magnificent talent with every tool for the game, even the men's game, she has been plagued by turnovers and the occasional head-loss in big games, often ignored by the media because of her "superstar" stature. In these Olympic Winter Games she was making news throughout because of an impending job with the I.O.C. that she landed the day before the Gold medal game. I this game however, Angela played with laser-like focus. She was the epitome of skill in the first, and selfless brawn in the second. Taking on Canada's toughest and most energetic wide-body (with all due respect to Haley Irwin) Apps in all the combat zones, Ruggiero spent herself nobly in defeat.

there was no self-promoting happy talk in the post game, no justification for yet another defeat to Canada. Just a respectful hand shake through a misty-eyed emotional haze, as she strode from one Olympic endeavor to the next, the future one in street clothes.