MILAN (NEXSTAR) - The U.S. women's hockey team won the Olympic gold medal Thursday in Milan after a comeback effort and an overtime victory. And many had family in the stands taking in the drama. On Thursday, Hilary Knight scored the tying goal to spark the comeback at the end of regulation before Megan Keller secured the win with a goal in overtime. While the athletes competed on the ice, their families followed the journey to the gold medal game. The victory marked a milestone for the players and the loved ones who supported them through previous Olympic cycles and training. Family members expressed pride following the gold medal match. Nick Stoop, boyfriend of player Hayley Scamurra, described the experience of watching her reach the podium and fulfill her athletic goals. "To watch her grow over the last few years, to become who she is today, to be able to share in this experience, supporting her and watching her actualize her dream of being an Olympic gold medalist, this is the most incredible thing that I could ever experience as someone who loves and supports her," Stoop said. For other families, the victory represented a successful conclusion to previous professional challenges. Andrew Curl Salemme, the husband of Britta Curl Salemme, noted that seeing his wife take the ice was a significant moment because of her experience during the 2022 Olympic cycle. Solemy had previously faced a series of obstacles that prevented her from competing in Beijing. "It was a roller coaster," Curl Salemme said. "I mean, she got cut right before Christmas and then somebody got hurt and she got called up and then right as she was about to board the plane to go to Beijing, she tested positive for COVID and couldn't make it." Solemy described the 2022 experience as a "rough ride" for the family. The atmosphere following the victory in Milan was emotional for the families involved. "So to make this one was we were all in tears, tears of joy," he said. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published