It’s amazing how much noise a huge crowd of people can make when they see a puck find the back of a net.
Such was the case Thursday afternoon in Evergreen Park, the hometown of USA women’s hockey star Abbey Murphy.
A crowd estimated by a waitress at “275-ish” burst into a deafening roar at Barraco’s Pizza, 3701 W. 95th St., when the American women won in part thanks to Murphy who made a nice stop on defense in overtime to prevent a goal.
The crowd filled the bar and dining room.
By the end of the game, at least 300 fans were cheering as the USA women beat Canada, 2-1, to win the gold medal.
“Unbelievable. The fire marshal’s probably here drinking with us,” quipped a 62-year-old man who declined to give his name.
He had stuffed under his left arm free white T-shirts touting the team, Murphy and Barraco’s.
Many wore the T-shirts, USA hockey shirts, hats and hockey sweaters touting Murphy’s name and her number 37.
After nearly three hours, they were rewarded with a gold medal winning outcome in Milan, Italy.
While the sudden ending may have caught Canada off guard, Kelly Hancock, 57, of Chicago Ridge, was not surprised.
After the Americans tied the score at 1-all late in the game she boldly predicted victory.
“I think they’ve got it. It’s their year. It’s their time,” she said before overtime started.
A few moments later, the room filled with elated fans, she said, dabbing her eyes, “Amazing. Amazing. I’m crying. I have tears in my eyes.”
After the game, Mike Greco, 65, of Evergreen Park, stood in the relatively calm hallway between the dining room and bar.
“This,” he said. “is fantastic.”
Unlike Hancock, Greco admitted he had some doubts when the Americans were trailing 1-0 late in the game.
“I did. But I’ve watched a bit of hockey and knew there was a lot of time. The Hawks do it all the time,” Greco said.
Canada, he said, was the toughest team America faced, noting the U.S. women had outscored opponents 31-1 in six previous games.
“They hadn’t had a good test yet,” he said of the champs. “Then (Canada) got that first short-handed goal and it was kind of a shock. Kind of disheartening.”
“That was great, though. I’m really happy they did it. Good for them<” Greco added.
Another happy fan was Lynn Dwyer, a good friend of Abbey’s mother, Lynne Murphy.
Dwyer, 58, of Evergreen Park, said Mara, one of her four daughters, was in Milan at the game cheering on Abbey and her USA teammates.
She proudly showed a photo on her phone of the two friends together at the Winter Games.
“They went to grammar school together, Most Holy Redeemer,” she said.
“I’m nervous and excited,” Dwyer said during the game. “ (Abbey) is such an amazing person. She works so hard even in the summer, working with her training, training on her own, skating twice a day.”
After the game, Dwyer wore a huge smile on her face.
“I’m just so excited for them. Very nerve-wracking. I can’t imagine how Lynne or Abbey felt. You’ve got to stay positive and think the best. They’ve earned it, earned it big time,” Dwyer said.
Before the game, standing outside enjoying a quick puff on his vape, Tony Castellano, 54, of New Lenox, recounted how he received a text early Thursday from brother-in-law Ed Murphy, who is Abbey’s father.
“He texted me at 3:30 in the morning. … The tickets were on my phone. I tried to get tickets in the lottery for Taylor Swift in Chicago. I couldn’t get those for my kids.
“Then I go to the Olympics tickets lottery versus the whole (deleted) world and I get them. He’s texting me, ‘Send the tickets to me’ at 4:18 in the morning,” said Castellano, who did.
Ed received the four tickets and was at the game with wife Lynne, Castellano said, watching their daughter win a gold medal.
After the game, a few doors south of Barraco’s, Jan Pietranduono, 68, was met by a reporter as she walked to her car on a special mission from her mother.
“When we went to overtime, she was yelling at the dogs to quit barking. We were really, really excited,” Pietranduono said.
Her mother, 95-year-old Geri Buttrice, had one simple request after the American women won gold: “She said I should go to Binny’s and get a bottle of champagne.”
Mom, she said, was very tense early in the game.
“Her cable was out earlier when the first period was on and she kept rushing the cable guy, ‘How long will it take you to install our new box?’ “ Pietranduono said with a laugh.
Once the new cable box was installed, they got to witness a game that many – especially in Evergreen Park – will recall for a very long time.
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