Sunday, Feb. 22: The Olympics end today. Two weeks ago I didn't know what Nagano looked like and now I could probably draw you a map of the ice. I am still not over Tuesday. I don't think I'm ever going to be over Tuesday. I updated the whole page, so look around!

Hi! I'm Julie. I'm 17, a senior, and I play defense on my high school girls' team here in Minnesota, number 4. Minnesota was the first state to make girls' hockey a real varsity high school sport, and the first girls' state tournament was in 1995, which was my freshman year. When I started playing at age 8, I was the only girl on my team and the boys' moms used to ask my mom if I was "sure." I'm sure.

Now there's an Olympic gold medal. For girls. And it's ours.

Tuesday, February 17, 1998, in Nagano, Japan. Our whole team watched it together at Allyson's house, all of us in our jerseys on the floor in front of the TV, and Allyson's dad had to go out in the garage during the third period because he said he couldn't take it.

• Second period: Gretchen Ulion scores on the power play. 1-0 USA! We screamed so loud Allyson's dog hid under the table.
• Third period: Shelley Looney scores on another power play. 2-0!
• Then Canada's Danielle Goyette scored on their power play with about four minutes left and it was 2-1 and I thought I was going to throw up.
• Canada pulled their goalie for the extra skater, and Sandra Whyte put it in the empty net with eight seconds to go. 3-1. GAME OVER. GOLD!!!

Sarah Tueting was in goal for us and she was unbelievable. Canada had Manon Rhéaume in their net, the one who played in an NHL exhibition game back in 1992, so it wasn't like it was easy.

When they put the medals on, we were all crying, and Allyson's dad came back in from the garage and he was crying too.

Team USA won all six games. Nobody else did that.

The best one besides the final was the 7-4 game against Canada on Saturday the 14th. It was only the first round, but nobody played like it. Canada was ahead 4-1 in the third period and then we scored SIX GOALS IN A ROW. Six! In one period! I watched the tape three times. It got pretty rough at the end too, and after that game you could tell the gold medal game was going to be a war.

It was the first time women's hockey was ever in the Olympics, so there were only six teams. They each played everybody once, and then the top two played for gold and the next two played for bronze. Here's how the first round came out (2 points for a win):

Bronze medal game: Finland 4, China 1. Finland is really good. China was a lot better than people thought.

Cammi Granato - Our captain. She's from Illinois and her brother Tony plays in the NHL, but now he's "Cammi Granato's brother." She has been playing for the U.S. since before anybody cared, and she's who I want to be.

Sarah Tueting - Goalie in the gold medal game. Cool as anything. Our goalie Jennifer says she's going to study tapes of her all summer.

Angela Ruggiero - Defense, like me! She's only 18, which means she's barely older than I am. She plays big and smart and she can move the puck. She's my new favorite person.

Tara Mounsey - Defense too. Strong, smart, never panics. That's what Coach Garrison means when he says "stay home."

Karyn Bye - Alternate captain and a scorer. Hard to get the puck away from.

Gretchen Ulion, Shelley Looney and Sandra Whyte - The three goals in the final. Enough said.

Coach Ben Smith - He had them ready. Six games, six wins.

We're having a good year! I'm on the second defense pair with Rebecca. Jennifer is our goalie and has played every game but one (Cassandra had the shutout against the Cardinals in January). Allyson is our captain and leads the team in goals. I have 3 goals and 11 assists, which Coach says is right for a defenseman, because my job is to keep it out of our net first.

We played the Thunder on Tuesday, the same day as the gold medal game, and won 2-1, and Lynette said that makes us gold medalists too. It doesn't, but it felt like it.

After that it's graduation and college, and I still haven't decided where I'm going. I want to play in college. Ten years ago there were hardly any college women's teams. Now there are more every year, and after Tuesday I bet there are going to be a lot more.