Day 7: Saturday, January 12
Hello from Calgary! Today was the greatest day of our lives. We won the championship, 5-2, against Team Canada. The whole day was unreal. Today is a day we will never forget – we were the first U18 World Champions. The game nerve-wracking, we went up 4-0 and then Canada came back and scored two goals. Then Amanda Kessel scored the final goal to make it 5-2. After the game, we all jumped for joy and listened to our national anthem for the fifth and final time. After the game we had a reception dinner with all the teams, but by the time we got there it was almost over, so we headed back to our hotel in downtown Calgary and enjoyed the victory as a team. We also enjoyed a little fun with Team Finland until it was time to pack and leave for the airport at 4:45 a.m. That is where I am leaving you from. Farewell from Calgary!
– Kendall Coyne
Day 6: Friday, January 11
Good Evening from Calgary! Tonight we beat the Czechs 8-0 in a well-played game. We played our best two periods of the tournament in the second and third. Our team played with a lot of heart and pride tonight.
Tomorrow is the game we have all been working very hard to get to. We play Team Canada and we all cannot wait. I know that our team will leave everything on the ice and do what ever it takes to get the gold.
This is what we came here to do and now it is time to finish it. We have become a very close-knit team and that will help us through the most demanding 60-minute game of each of our lives. But, I know we are ready and we will play with our hearts on our sleeves. GO USA!!
– Brooke Ammerman
Day 5: Thursday, January 10
Hello from Calgary! Today was a calm day – we arrived at the rink in the morning and has picture day, then it was time to get to work. We had an hour practice and worked a lot on our aggressive penalty kill. After the hard work on the PK, we ended with a fun game before we all headed out with our parents for the afternoon. We didn’t have a game today, so we had time to just chill. After the day with our parents, we all came back for a team dinner. Hopefully the day off will help us be rested for the Czech Republic tomorrow. Go USA!
– Kendall Coyne
Day 4: Wednesday, January 9
Hello again from Calgary! Tonight we defeated Sweden
6-2 in a very tough game. Sweden was a lot tougher of a team and they challenged our character. We were down 2-1 for a little while, but we capitalized on a shorthanded goal and we never looked back. In the second and third periods we used our speed to our advantage and it enabled us to get the victory.
Tomorrow, Thursday, we have an hour practice in the morning and then we have the rest of the day off to relax with our family and friends who have come to watch us play. We all are very excited for the day off, and it will allow for us to get focused on our semi-final game, Friday night. We are now two games away from achieving our goal and it is going to take a whole team effort to accomplish it. GO USA!!!
– Brooke Ammerman
Day 3: Tuesday, January 8
Hello again from Calgary! It was another exciting day – we had an early-morning skate and before that we had video to go over from our game against Russia. The video re-emphasized import aspects of our systems in each zone. We overcame our initial drowsiness when we stepped on the ice for our skate. Following the skate, we enjoyed rest time preceding our pre-game meal. After the meal, we headed to the rink for our game against Switzerland. We took our pre-game warm-up to the next level with a dance-off in the locker room after our warm-up routine with Mo (Strength & Conditioning Coach Maureen Butler). When game-time rolled around, our focus shifted to the goals we set for each other, especially improving from last night’s performance. Although the score was equivalent to our first game, we cleaned up in all aspects of the game. Our team performance in our 11-0 victory against Switzerland contributed to the growing unity of the group. This bond will be necessary in order to be victorious against Sweden tomorrow.
– Kendall Coyne
Day 3: Monday, January 7
Good Evening from Calgary! Tonight we had our first game and we beat Russia 11-0. It was a well-played game by both teams and it feels great to get the first win under our belts. This morning we had a 30-minute pre-game skate, which got our legs ready for the game. We had a great pre-game meal before we headed over to the rink. Walking into the locker room tonight was a very special moment for all. Tonight was the first time half our team got to hone the USA jersey. There is no better feeling in the world then to wear the USA jersey and represent our country. Our team took lots of pride in wearing the jersey and it showed on the ice. We came out very strong and we have vowed as team to only get better as the week unfolds. Our team’s favorite pump up song is “Sweetest Girl” and we all take part in singing it a couple times before the game J. This is just one part of our outstanding team chemistry that we have gained in the last couple of weeks. Due to this we feel that we can take it all! However, it is one game at a time and our next opponent is Switzerland. We will come out just as strong tomorrow and play with a lot of emotion. Go USA!!!
– Brooke Ammerman
Day 2: Sunday, January 6
Hello from Calgary! Today our entire staff and players arrived safely in Calgary. We had our first practice as a team since Lake Placid. After a slow start, we picked it up and finished with a shootout aka “The Showdown.” Our winner today was Kate Bacon and it got us pumped. After practice we had some down time before the tournament’s opening ceremonies, put on by Hockey Canada and Tourism Calgary. It was a great experience for all and one we will remember for the rest of our lives. When the National Guards walked down the aisle with the championship trophy, it got us focused for the week ahead. After that was over, the team watched “Miracle.” It got us ready to put on the USA sweater tomorrow against our first opponent, Russia. Go USA!
– Kendall Coyne
Day 1: Saturday, January 5
Good evening from Calgary! Eighteen of us arrived here around 2 p.m. MT, and half of us are still waiting for our luggage. We all got up very early to catch our flights and it was a long day of travel. The majority of the team met up in Chicago and we were all very excited to see each other. Our team has great chemistry, which we gained from a strenuous week of training in Lake Placid, N.Y. We had a lot of success there that allowed for our team to truly come together.
When we left the airport, the first place we went was the rink. When we walked into the locker room it was breathtaking to see all the USA apparel. After we unpacked our bags, we got to go back to the hotel for two hours of down time before our first team meal. We were all very hungry, therefore the majority of the meal was very quiet as we all focused on filling our empty stomachs. After, we had a brief team meeting and then we were able to hang out with each other before curfew.
Tomorrow we cannot wait to get on the ice after our six-day break. We all are excited wait for the tournament to begin and we’re ready to make the best of this opportunity that we have worked very hard for. Go USA!!!
– Brooke Ammerman
Tag(s): 2008
