Captain Clutch and Canada's women hockey players deserve our support year round

This is a column by Shireen Ahmed, who writes opinion for CBC Sports. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

I will never forget the third period of the 2014 Olympic gold medal game in Sochi. I was sitting nervously on the edge of my sofa in the first period, anxious in the second and by the time the U.S. was beating Canada 2-1 late in the third, my hopes had slowly drained. 

But a now-famous play involving a goal post and the hockey godssprung into action, preventing a likely third goal on Canada's open net after goaltender Shannon Szabados had been pulled to increase Canada's offensive attack. After that particular play, there was a sense of reinvigoration. Marie-Philip Poulin, now lovingly called "Captain Clutch," scored with seconds left and then again in OT to clinch the win. I believe I screamed so loud I lost my voice — a totally normal occurrence for me during the Olympics, World Cups or championship games. 

WATCH | How a goalpost changed everything:

Canada was playing its fiercest competitor, most worthy opponent, neighbour to the south, and in many cases teammate in professional leagues: the United States. I am a huge fan of sports rivalries in sports and Canada vs. the U.S. in women's hockey is one of the most stunning and exciting rivalries in the game.

It can be argued that the competition in this particular sport has remained quite limited with the majority of the best players hailing from North America, with a few from Nordic countries in Europe and China.  

Despite the burgeoning growth of women's hockey all over the world, the undisputed queens hail from the U.S. and Canada. Canada is the reigning world champion after winning the IIHF tournament this past August.

Canada is