Sochi 2014 - USA Women's Team

Being starved of regular hockey, living on the wrong side of the pond, you take any opportunity you can get to watch a game when it is screened on UK TV. So with the Olympics started already and the Men's Tournament not due to start until Wednesday, I have had the time to check out the Women's games so far. Having never seen a Women's game before, I have been pleasantly surprised by the level of the quality shown at the Olympics. USA and Canada are by far the best teams but Finland and Russia have shown quality throughout their games too. Starting with team USA I am going to profile each of their teams.


USA are the reigning Olympic Silver-medalists from Vancouver 2010 and also favorites to claim gold in Sochi this time. A lot of that is down to their top forward line of Hilary Knight, Kelli Stack & Alexandra Carpenter. All three scored a goal each in their opening game against Finland, while both Knight and Carpenter scored again against Switzerland, while Stack got two assists. That line has combined for nine points over their opening two games. Idaho native, Knight (24) has been tipped to be named tournament MVP, and its not surprising. The Left Wing, is one of seven US players from the Boston Blades, as his her line-mate Stack. From Ohio, 26 year-old Center, Stack has a great understanding with her two wingers and has been dominant from the face-off circle. It must help having one of her CWHL team-mates alongside her. The third member of this top-trio, Carpenter, is only 19 and plays for her College team the Boston Eagles in the NCAA. Born in Massachusetts, Alexandra comes from great Ice Hockey stock. She is the daughter of former  New Jersey Stanley Cup winner Bobby Carpenter.
Hilary Knight
Kelli Stack 
Alexandra Carpenter


As good as that line is, the hottest one right now is the second line of Brianna Decker (22), Kendall Coyne (21) and Amanda Kessel (22). All three were kept off the score-sheet against Finland but they combined for five goals and ten points againsts the Swiss. Wisconsin-born Left-wing, Decker plays for her local NCAA team the Wisconsin Badgers. Coyne the center on this line works hard and was rewarded with two late goals in the final period against Switzerland. The Illionis native seemed more than happy to supply the passes for her two line-mates through-out the game, but also had several other scoring chances go-begging as she orchestrated her teams victory. She plays her college hockey in Boston with the Northeastern Huskies. If right-wing Amanda Kessel's name sounds familiar it is because she has two older brothers involved in hockey. Older Brother Phil plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs and is also representing Team USA at the Olympics. Middle brother Blake was at Philadelphia Flyers AHL-affiliate Trenton Titans before being cut by the Iowa Wild earlier this season. Born in Wisconsin, Amanda plays for the NCAA Minnesota Golden Gophers.

           Brianna Decker                    Kendall Coyne
Amanda Kessel


The Third line is made up of 24 year-old twins Monique (LW) and Jocelyne (C) Lamoureux. Hailing from North Dakota, both play for their local NCAA University team. They come from a big sporting family, their father and four brothers all played hockey at various levels and their mother has ran the Boston Marathon. They combined for two goals against Switzerland, Jocelyne assisting on both of Monique's goals. Joining the sisters on the line is team captain Meghan Duggan (26). The right wing from Massachusetts, plays for the Boston Blades, and was part of the USA team from four years ago in Vancouver.

Monique & Jocelyne Lamoureux

                                Meghan Duggan


The other forwards on the team are, Julie Chu (31) from Connecticut, who plays for the Montreal Stars, and is competing in her fourth straight Olympic Games, and Lyndsey Fry (21), who comes from a non-traditional hockey area of Chandler, AZ. She is currently playing for the Harvard Crimson in the NCAA.

              Julie Chu                                    Lyndsey Fry


On defense, the US use three set-pairings. The top partnership is usually Gisele Marvin from Minnesota and Kacey Bellamy from Massachusetts. Both are 26 years-old and know each other well as they are on the Boston Blades team together.

              Gisele Marvin                              Kacey Bellamy
A third Boston Blades defenseman lines up on the second line. Anne Schleper (24) is from St. Cloud, MN, a true Hockey area if ever there was one. She is also a devout-Christian. Joining Anne is Megan Bozek (22) from Illinois, who plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

            Anne Schleper                          Megan Bozek
The third defensive line see Harvard Crimson duo, Josephine Pucci (23) from Pearl River, NY, and Michelle Picard (20) from Massachusetts play alongside one-another. The seventh defenseman is 19 year-old Lee Stecklein from Minnesota. She is another player from the Minnesota Golden Gophers team and also the youngest player on the team.

              Josephine Pucci                       Michelle Picard
Lee Stecklein


We have seen a different goaltender in each of their opening games so far. Oregon Outlaws player, Jessica Vetter (28) from Wisconsin started in the 3-1 win over Finland on Saturday, but was replaced ahead of the Swiss game by Molly Schaus (25) from New Jersey who plays for the Boston Blades. Schaus shut-out the Swiss in the 9-0 win. The only player yet to see any ice-time is Brianne McLaughlin (26) from Ohio, who plays for the Burlington Barracudas in Canada. All three goalies went to the last Olympics at Vancouver 2010.

              Jessica Vetter                            Molly Schaus

Brianne McLaughlin