New York’s Josephine Pucci (Pearl River) was among the 21 players named to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team during the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
The U.S. team, which includes three goaltenders, seven defensemen and 11 forwards, will continue training and competing in the Boston, Mass., area until departing for the Olympics on Feb. 1. The opening ceremonies are slated for Feb. 7, with Team USA’s first game taking place on Feb. 8 against Finland.
The team was selected from the 25 players who made up the 2013-14 U.S. Women’s National Team. In addition to competing on the Bring on the World Tour, which included the Four Nations Cup, the group has been practicing at the Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Mass., and training at MBSC in Woburn, Mass., since early September.
“We’re excited to officially announce our roster,” said Reagan Carey, general manager for Team USA and also USA Hockey’s director of women’s hockey. “We had some very tough decisions, but we’re confident that we have assembled 21 players that will help us achieve our goal of winning the gold medal. These players have fully dedicated themselves and have earned this opportunity. We’d also like to acknowledge and thank those players who did not make the team. They have contributed greatly to the advancement of the team.”
“Today is an important day for our team and we’re thrilled to continue our journey toward Sochi,” said Katey Stone, head coach for Team USA. “We have a good blend of veterans and first-time Olympians and we’re excited about what lies ahead. We’re enthusiastic about our team and focused on getting better every day.”
In addition to Chu, the 10 additional players with Olympic experience on the U.S. roster includeKacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.), Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle (Sheffield Village, Ohio), Molly Schaus (Natick, Mass.), Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio), and Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.), who all played in 2010. All 21 players have competed in an International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship, including 18 who captured a gold medal last April to propel the United States to the No. 1 ranking in the world.
Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.) is the youngest U.S. player at 19 years old (nine months, 16 days), just 10 days younger than Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.). Chu is the senior member of the team at 31 years old (10 months), making her the oldest player to ever represent the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team at the Olympics.
Roster Highlights
- 11 Olympians
- 21 World Champions
- 18 players from the 2013 U.S. Women’s National Team
- 8 players who have competed in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League
- 10 players that competed for NCAA Division I teams in 2012-13
- 8 participants in the 2013 NCAA tournament
- 4 participants in the 2013 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four
- 3 winners of the 2013 NCAA National Championship
- 5 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipients
- Players come from 10 different states, led by Massachusetts (five players)
- Average age of the players named is 23.8 years old
