FIRST TIME OLYMPIANS
The team includes eight first-time Olympians in Jesse Compher (Northbrook, Ill.), Jincy Dunne (O’Fallon, Mo.), Savannah Harmon (Downers Grove, Ill.), Caroline Harvey (Salem, N.H.), Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park, Ill.), Abby Roque (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), Hayley Scamurra (Getzville, N.Y.) and Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn.).
KNIGHT IN FOURTH OLYMPIC GAMES; FOUR PLAYERS TO MAKE THIRD OLYMPIC APPEARANCE
Hilary Knight has now been named to four Olympic women’s ice hockey teams, joining Jenny Potter, Angela Ruggiero and Julie Chu as the only American women in USA Hockey history to accomplish that feat. Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel and Lee Stecklein have all now made three Olympic teams.
AVERAGE AGE
The team showcases a strong mix of veteran experience and youth, ranging in age from 19 (Caroline Harvey, Abbey Murphy) to 32 (Hilary Knight). The average age of Team USA Is 25.9 years old.
COLLEGE CONNECTION
All 23 athletes have either played, currently play or are committed to play NCAA hockey, with the University of Minnesota leading the way with eight representatives. The University of Wisconsin has connection to five athletes, while Boston College has three, Northeastern University two, and one each for Boston University, Clarkson University, Lindenwood University, Ohio State University and University of Minnesota Duluth.
NOTES: Tonight’s announcement came during the second intermission of the NHL’s Winter Classic at Target Field in Minneapolis and was showcased live on TNT … The U.S. heads into Beijing as the defending gold medalist after having defeated Canada, 3-2, in a shootout in the gold-medal game of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games … Of the 15 players on the roster with Olympic experience, all but Megan Bozek and Alex Carpenter were part of the gold medal-winning 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team … Team USA has medaled in every Olympic Games since women’s hockey was introduced to the Olympic program in 1998, including two gold medals (1998, 2018), three silver medals (2002, 2010, 2014) and one bronze medal (2006) … The U.S. opens Olympic competition against Finland in group play on Feb. 3. Puck drop is set for 9:10 p.m. local time and 8:10 a.m. ET.
