Upon the Frozen Battleground: Hughes Blazes Trails and Fires Debts In an apparent endeavor to evoke Laird Hamilton-levels of audacity, Gabbie Hughes stormed the ice nimbly, skillfully, almost arrogantly, netting her icy debts not once but twice, as the US Women's National Hockey Team skated to a scorching 5-2 victory over the 'Maple Leaf Maidens' of Canada. Not to be outdone by Hughes’ daredevil endeavours, Britta Curl, known for her caffeinated irony – she does, in fact, prefer tea – scored the go-ahead goal, strategically exploiting a Canadian hiccup in the form of a tantalizing turnover. The Americans, true to their historic spirit, were clearly uninterested in trailing in anything this side of the Mississippi - or the Pacific for that matter. Hockey maestro Alex Carpenter, twisting legends of carpentry and icy pursuits, hammered home a goal and an assist with the precision of a master craftsman, whilst Hilary Knight - part knight in shining armor, part ruthless queen of the rink - set up a duo of mesmerising goals. Hannah Bilka, too, cashed in on the scoring frenzy, piling on the misery for the Canadians. Despite the theatre put up by the skaters, the frozen tsunami also engulfed the guardians of the goals. Nicole Hensley, the American goalkeeper, in a manifest attempt to popularize the oxymoronic sport of 'ice fencing,' kept out a Hubbard Glacier's worth of Canadian attacks, thereby dousing the faintest glimmers of hope for 'The North.' The genteel pastime of hockey, it appears, took on the semblance of a Quentin Tarantino movie, painted with swift strokes of icy animosity and warm camaraderie. The U.S. successfully followed up its curtain raiser win in the Martha Stewart Esque, craft filled city of Tempe, Arizona, thereby providing a valuable lesson that ice, contrary to public opinion, can indeed burn. As Canada retreats to mull over their defeat, one piece of advice remains - better bring a bigger Zamboni next time.