Milan, Italy is now home to 250 women’s ice hockey athletes all striving to bring glory to their country and collect a gold medal.
While the games are going on in Milan over 4,000 miles away, back home in Aston, Pa., a number of players on the Neumann University Women’s Ice Hockey team have been cheering on the USA.
When asked who she will be rooting for throughout the Olympics style tournament, senior forward and Neumann University Ice Hockey Co-Captain Charlotte Labre says, “Even though my dad’s side of the family is Canadian, I was born here in the US so I’ll be rooting for the US!”
Labre, who has been surrounded by hockey her entire life—Her grandfather Yvon Labre had his jersey number, 7, retired by the Washington Capitals—states that she is “happy that the women’s game is growing” and hopes women’s hockey can continue to grow with a boost from the Olympics.
The Olympics give underrated sports, like women’s ice hockey, a chance. Prior to the Professional Women’s Hockey League being created in August of 2023, there were no leagues in North America who would pay their athletes to compete, with most athletes doing it for the love of the game.
Labre is not the only player on the Neumann University Ice Hockey team who has been watching the Women’s Ice Hockey Olympic games.
Junior defenseman Valerie Wheeler has been “locked in” on the coverage broadcast by NBC and Peacock.
“Yes! I am a huge fan of the Winter Olympics. Women’s hockey is definitely on my watch list and I go out of my way to watch those games,” said Wheeler.
Valerie Wheeler’s love of hockey came from watching soon to be retired Team USA Captain Hilary Knight.
“Growing up Hilary Knight was my biggest hockey inspiration and it’s really hard to believe that this Olympic Games will be her last,” she said.
When asked who they thought would ultimately win gold in Women’s Ice Hockey, both players on the Neumann University Ice Hockey team said Team USA.
Watching Team USA dominate Team Canada helped to make Labre’s prediction easier.
“Well, if yesterday’s game was any indication, I think the US is taking gold this year,” she said.
While Wheeler used simple statistics to help prove her point on why she believes that Team USA will dominate the competition.
“The US went undefeated in the prelims scoring 20 goals and only allowing 1. They also shut out Canada for the first time in Olympic history,” she noted.
Team USA is a game away from gold as they face northern rival Team Canada in the Gold Medal game Thursday February 19th at 1:10 PM EST.
