Kevin Oklobzija • Staff writer • March 1, 2010

There are few defeats in sports more devastating than losing an Olympic gold-medal showdown.

There are also very few consolation prizes that can be more comforting than a silver medal from the world's greatest athletic spectacle.

So Ryan Callahan learned on Sunday afternoon.

Callahan and the American men's hockey team lost a heart-breaker to Canada, 3-2 in overtime, in Vancouver. But the Greece resident still took pride in winning silver with his teammates.

"Being the second-best team in the world, we have to hold our heads high," Callahan said by phone on Sunday evening.

"Coming back with a silver medal is a large honor and I'm thankful, but it's still disappointing to lose, especially the way we tied the game."

Underdogs in the 12-team tournament, Team USA used a total team concept and the great goaltending of Ryan Miller to systematically knock off each opponent.

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