The US men’s hockey team defeated Slovakia 6-2 in the Olympics, and will face Canada in the gold medal game.

The U.S. men’s hockey team rolled past Slovakia with a 6-2 victory Friday, earning a spot in the Olympic gold medal game. against Canada. The two sides will face each other on Sunday.

Jack Hughes scored two goals, including one with a brilliant individual effort. The US had no problem against the Slovaks, who ran improbably and were overmatched.

It is the first time in 16 years that the US men’s hockey team has advanced to the gold medal game.

The last time the US won gold in men’s hockey was “Miracle on Ice” team. at the 1980 Winter Olympics, where the US upset the Soviet Union 4–3.

In 2010, the US won silver after losing to Canada in overtime with Sidney Crosby’s famous golden goal. Crosby’s status is uncertain this time after being injured in the quarterfinals on Wednesday and not playing on Friday against Finland.

American center Vincent Trocheck told CBS News that winning gold would be “everything we’ve wanted since we were kids.”

“Watching ‘Isimangaliso’ growing up, thinking about the 1980 Olympic team, just something, as a kid from when we were 5 years old, watching that, we all dreamed of being here, dreamed of winning a gold medal, and having the opportunity to do that Sunday,” Trocheck said.

Winger Brady Tkachuk told CBS News that with the feeling of the entire nation supporting them, “you’re not just playing yourself.”

Canadian men’s ice hockey team beat Finland 3-2 in the semifinals on Friday. Finland and Slovakia will play for bronze on Saturday. Slovakia is aiming for the second hockey medal in the country’s history after securing its first by finishing third in Beijing in 2022.

Last year, the US and Canada played two memorable games against each other in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

That NHL-run event ended a nearly ten-year drought without an international tournament featuring the world’s best hockey players. Three fights in the first nine minutes of the first meeting put the 4 Nations on top, and their final, which was won by Canada in overtime, built Olympic anticipation.

The US is playing for gold after the semifinals were much easier than the quarterfinals against Sweden, where extra time was needed to survive a scare. Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Hughes and Eichel scored four goals on 23 shots and fired Samuel Hlavaj in the Slovakian net midway through the second half.

Thompson, one of the young players who did not play in the 4 Nations, came out behind the second after blocking the ball. He was caught all the way, according to NBC.

Hughes got the second after the power play expired, and Brady Tkachuk scored on a breakaway with just over nine minutes left to give some breathing room.

Goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck did his job as his teammates in defeating Slovakia by big margins. Everything he did at the Olympics confirmed coach Mike Sullivan’s decision to go with Hellebuyck who started in the US with Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.

The U.S. men’s victory comes a day after the U.S. women’s team beat Canada to win gold in a a thrilling 2-1 comeback in overtime.

US men’s hockey beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime in its quarterfinal on Wednesday.

In the group stage last weekend, the US beat Denmark 6-3 after overcoming an earlier deficit of 2-1 in the first half. On February 12, the US opened the Olympics with beating Latvia 5-1.

It is the first time since 2014 that NHL players have qualified to compete in the Olympic Games. The league pulled out of the 2022 Olympic Games due to COVID-19, and restricted players in 2018, saying the games would disrupt the NHL season.