It's been called the greatest rivalry in sports and tonight, the gold medal women's hockey match between Canada and the United States lived up to its billing.

Jocelyne Lamoureux scored on a nifty deke in the sixth round of a shootout, giving the Americans the victory and their first women's hockey gold in 20 years.

Veteran Shannon Szabados was sensational in goal for Canada through regulation time and a nail-biting overtime period.

But 20-year-old American netminder Maddie Rooney blocked one more shot in the shootout, which made the difference.

Gigi Marvin and Amanda Kessel also scored in the shootout for the U.S. team with Meghan Agosta and Mélodie Daoust replying in kind for Canada.

After three periods and one overtime period, the two best women's hockey teams in the world were tied 2-2.

A third period breakaway goal by Lamoureux's twin sister Monique tied the game, coming immediately after Canada barely missed scoring on a three-on-one break.

U.S. sniper Hilary Knight scored the first goal late in the first period as Canadian Sarah Nurse was in the penalty box.

But the Canadians came roaring back early in the second period on a nifty play by Haley Irwin. As she raced toward the U.S. net, she redirected a pass in the air behind Rooney.

Not long after, Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin fired a one-timer past Rooney, giving Canada its 2-1 lead.

Both sides showed impressive penalty-killing for the remainder of the second period and in the third period in a sometimes rough women's Olympic hockey game.

The Canadian women won four straight gold medals leading up to this Winter Olympics, with three of those final-match victories coming against the Americans.

At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Poulin scored the golden goal in overtime after Canada made a stunning comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the third period.