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The pride of O'Fallon, Missouri, Joy Dunne and her teammates are now just one win away from reclaiming Olympic gold.
On Monday, Team USA shut out Sweden 5-0 in the semifinals at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The victory sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown as Team USA faces off against arch-rival Canada on Thursday. It is a highly anticipated rematch from the 2022 Beijing Games, where the U.S. took silver.
While the action is unfolding on the international stage, the impact is being felt profoundly at local rinks in St. Louis. The national success, driven by local ties, has become a source of motivation for the Lady Blues youth hockey teams, who took to the ice for practice Monday night.
For the young players and staff, seeing a homegrown talent like Dunne succeed is proof that the path to the podium can start in Missouri.
"It's very inspiring to see that you can come out of St. Louis and gain that national fame and attention and reputation," said 12U and 14U Lady Blues Director Andrew Tomaras. "It's a real testament to what we're doing here in St. Louis with girls hockey."
Charlie Blyth, a hockey parent and coach for the 12U Lady Blues, said that seeing Dunne on the national stage helps make the dream a reality for his players.
"For them to ask questions about how do you get there and what's it take to get there and what are the steps to take, there's no question they're inspired by what they see," Blyth said.
The girls, who work at the sport nearly year-round both on and off the ice, see the Olympic squad as the ultimate benchmark. When asked about the inspiration of seeing women compete for gold, one player noted the importance of having such visible examples.
"I think it's really great and a really good thing to look up to and follow," Lady Blues player Hannah said.
Another player, Ellie, added, "I think women's hockey has gotten crazy. It's so fun to watch, and it's amazing."
According to Tomaras, the lessons being taught at the rink extend well beyond the rules of the game.
"We're really trying to make sure that these are not just good hockey players. These are good people," Tomaras said. "And our coaches are trying to inspire them to be not only good athletes, but good teammates, have good sportsmanship, things like that."
For the current roster of Lady Blues, Dunne and her Olympic teammates represent the pinnacle of athleticism and character.
"I feel like women's hockey is so fast paced and it's just, they're just great role models like look up to," Lady Blues player Sarah said.
As the Lady Blues continue training for their regional competition at the St. Peters Rec-Plex in a few weeks, their eyes remain glued to the television, ready to support their hometown hero one last time.
"ON THE COUNT OF THREE WE’RE GONNA CHEER ON TEAM USA, ONE, TWO, THREE USA USA USA," the team chanted from the ice.
Continue reading...
On Monday, Team USA shut out Sweden 5-0 in the semifinals at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The victory sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown as Team USA faces off against arch-rival Canada on Thursday. It is a highly anticipated rematch from the 2022 Beijing Games, where the U.S. took silver.
While the action is unfolding on the international stage, the impact is being felt profoundly at local rinks in St. Louis. The national success, driven by local ties, has become a source of motivation for the Lady Blues youth hockey teams, who took to the ice for practice Monday night.
For the young players and staff, seeing a homegrown talent like Dunne succeed is proof that the path to the podium can start in Missouri.
"It's very inspiring to see that you can come out of St. Louis and gain that national fame and attention and reputation," said 12U and 14U Lady Blues Director Andrew Tomaras. "It's a real testament to what we're doing here in St. Louis with girls hockey."
Charlie Blyth, a hockey parent and coach for the 12U Lady Blues, said that seeing Dunne on the national stage helps make the dream a reality for his players.
"For them to ask questions about how do you get there and what's it take to get there and what are the steps to take, there's no question they're inspired by what they see," Blyth said.
The girls, who work at the sport nearly year-round both on and off the ice, see the Olympic squad as the ultimate benchmark. When asked about the inspiration of seeing women compete for gold, one player noted the importance of having such visible examples.
"I think it's really great and a really good thing to look up to and follow," Lady Blues player Hannah said.
Another player, Ellie, added, "I think women's hockey has gotten crazy. It's so fun to watch, and it's amazing."
According to Tomaras, the lessons being taught at the rink extend well beyond the rules of the game.
"We're really trying to make sure that these are not just good hockey players. These are good people," Tomaras said. "And our coaches are trying to inspire them to be not only good athletes, but good teammates, have good sportsmanship, things like that."
For the current roster of Lady Blues, Dunne and her Olympic teammates represent the pinnacle of athleticism and character.
"I feel like women's hockey is so fast paced and it's just, they're just great role models like look up to," Lady Blues player Sarah said.
As the Lady Blues continue training for their regional competition at the St. Peters Rec-Plex in a few weeks, their eyes remain glued to the television, ready to support their hometown hero one last time.
"ON THE COUNT OF THREE WE’RE GONNA CHEER ON TEAM USA, ONE, TWO, THREE USA USA USA," the team chanted from the ice.
Continue reading...
