skip navigation

Current Section

Coyne: The Journey – A Player’s Perspective

04/02/2015, 5:15pm MDT
By Kendall Coyne (Forward, Team USA)

Weeks, days, hours and minutes go by and we narrow our focus as we approach the IIHF Women's World Championship and aim to win a gold medal. From the moment we stepped off the plane at JFK airport in New York City, our focus has been winning a gold medal. For some players, that plane ride was over two weeks ago, while others, the college players competing in the Frozen Four, progressively arrived in New York City transitioning their focus from a National Championship to a World Championship. As each player arrived there was a sense of fulfillment that the squad was coming together.

When we were training in Long Island, we skated twice a day for an hour and fifteen minutes each. We completed a series of testing requirements in a very nice and clean weight room. During our practices, boys from local teams came out and joined us. Let me tell you, by the end of the week, I don’t think they were very happy with us because we treated them like they were on the team and there was no mercy even if there was no ponytail.

Finally the week of training camp came to an end and we were off to another city and another airport, this time Newark, New Jersey. During our bus ride to the airport, the tour guide for the back of the bus, Molly Schaus, was busy responding to, “Schausy, what is that one, and this one?” “Are we in New Jersey, yet?” “Did you know, 432 Park Ave will be the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere once the construction is completed and to live on the 94th floor it would only cost $82,500,000!!!”

As we approached the airport, everyone was anxious to see if they were in the window, aisle, or the worst, the middle seat for the flight. They always say you can’t win ‘em all! But, this time we did. We were upgraded to business class.  For someone like me who is 5’2, a business class seat is pretty much a bed.

Upon our arrival to Copenhagen, the eyelids were super glued open and we were off to Malmo. One of the nicest parts about the bus ride was the casual wave at the boarder control officers when going into to Sweden from Denmark.  No need to stop and show your passport going from country to country. Nice!

We got to Sweden and were welcomed with open arms and a hydration test. (Kacey Bellamy has the record for most hydration wins).

After a few days of practices, it did not take long to realize everyone in Malmo is willing to help, they all speak English, and crazy enough there is this bike called edacity where you can take a bike and leave a bike as needed. Overall, everyone adapted well to the time zone change. After feeling good and being adapted to the six-hour time zone change from training camp, we were thrown a challenge. Day light savings here in Sweden occurred in the middle of the tournament. We lost another hour, but gained our second win to Finland. After back-to-back games, we had a practice day where we were able to relax before taking on the Russians. After a 9-2 victory to Russia, we earned a bye through the quarters, which resulted in a day off and a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Taking the train to Denmark was a neat experience. I sat next to a lady that was heading to the airport for, ‘a quick trip to Barcelona to drink wine’. For us Midwesterners, a quick trip would be to another state. As for our time in Denmark, there were a lot of laughs, shopping, good food, erratic weather, and a birthday (Anne Schleper’s Mom).

Today was another practice day and most importantly a day to refocus on our initial goal. When this journey began over two weeks ago in our country, we aimed for winning a gold medal, and that's exactly what we hope to do.

Stay tuned and wish us luck in the semifinal game and the rest of the way!

Women's World Championship News

|

Popular News & Features

U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team Blanks Germany, 11-0

01/07/2009, 11:30am MST
By U18 Women's World Champs

FUSSEN, Germany – Eight different players scored and Madison Packer (Birmingham, Mich.) and Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) each accounted for three points, as the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team blanked host Germany, 11-0, here tonight at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship at the Fussen Arena.

With the victory, Team USA holds a 2-0-0-0 record (W-OTW-OTL-L) heading into tomorrow night's (Jan. 7) third and final preliminary-round game against Sweden at 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. EST).

"Overall, having played back-to-back games, we executed some good plays," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson, who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. "The competition will get tougher starting tomorrow against Sweden - we've played two good games, but now we'll have the opportunity to really make some strides."

The U.S. squad opened the game by netting four goals in the first 20 minutes of play. AfterLyndsey Fry (Chandler, Ariz.) potted her third goal of the tournament to give Team USA an early 1-0 lead at 2:50, Kessel doubled the U.S. lead when she stole the puck during a German two-man advantage, skated the length of the ice, switched to her backhand in front of the net and put a shot above goalie Janna Ramajzl's stick side at 6:20.

The score went to 3-0 at 10:48, as Packer found Brittany Ammerman (River Vale, N.J.) at the top of the crease for a quick dump in. Ammerman then found the back of the net again at 14:38, this time after Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) brought the puck in from center ice and took a hard shot from the left-side goal line. Bozek's rebound found its way to Ammerman, who tapped it in from the right post.

The Americans increased their lead to 9-0 with five more goals in the middle frame, starting with a pair of tallies 10 seconds apart in the first minute of play. Taylor Wasylk(Port Huron, Mich.) opened the period scoring at :45, followed 10 seconds later by Packer's second of the outing on a backhand shot. Caroline Campbell (Fordland, Mo.) was next to score for the United States, finding the top left corner with a slap shot from the right point at 11:08. Fry scored a second of her own at 13:26, as she put one between the legs of new German netminder Jule Flotgen. Jackie Young (Medford, Mass.) closed out the stanza with a power-play sniper from the top of the right faceoff circle to make it 9-0.

Wasylk and Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) capped off the scoring in the third period at 8:30 and 13:17, respectively, to account for the 11-0 final score.

Corinne Boyles (Wheaton, Ill.) made eight saves to earn the shutout victory in net for Team USA.

NOTES: Taylor Wasylk was named U.S. Player of the Game ... Team USA out shot Germany, 73-8 ... The United States went 1-for-6 on the power play, while Germany was 0-for-3 ... Amanda Kessel leads the tournament with nine points (4-5) in two games.Madison Packer ranks second with seven points (2-5) ... Joining Mark Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Katie King, head women’s ice hockey coach at Boston College, and Jeff Giesen, head women’s ice hockey coach at St. Cloud State University.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 4 5 2 -- 11
GER 0 0 0 -- 0

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Fry (unassisted), 2:50; 2, USA, Kessel (unassisted), 6:20 (3x5sh); 3, USA, Ammerman (Packer), 10:48; 4, USA, Ammerman (Bozek), 14:38. Penalties: GER, Rothemund (hooking), 3:23; USA, Packer (tripping), 5:03; USA, Pelkey (hooking), 5:47; GER, Anwander (hooking), 6:47; GER, Weisser (tripping), 17:33.

Second Period - Scoring: 5, USA, Wasylk (unassisted), :45; 6, USA, Packer (unassisted), :55; 7, USA, Campbell (Dempsey), 11:08; 8, USA, Fry (unassisted), 13:26 (4x4); 9, USA, Young (Kessel), 18:19 (pp). Penalties: USA, Decker (body checking), 13:05; GER, Eisenschmid (body checking), 13:05; USA, Brock (slashing), 13:52; GER, Strohmaier (interference), 17:34.

Third Period - Scoring: 10, USA, Wasylk (Kessel), 8:30; 11, USA, Decker (Packer), 13:17. Penalties: USA, Campbell (tripping), 3:53; USA, Fry (delay of game), 5:52; GER, Pokopec (tripping), 16:46; USA, Packer (slashing), 17:08; GER, Novotny (interference), 17:58.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 22 31 20 73
GER 3 2 3 8       

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Boyles, 60:00 3-3 2-2 3-3 8-8
GER, Ramajzl, 24:28 22-18 7-5 x-x 29-23
GER, Flotgen, 35:32 x-x 24-21 20-18 44-39

Power Play: USA 1-6; GER 0-5
Penalties: USA 7-14; GER 7-14
Officials: Referee-Marie Picavet (FRA); Linesmen-Annika Floeden (SWE), Evelyn Loretan (SUI)

Olympian Carpenter Heads Back to School

09/11/2014, 3:45pm MDT
By Justin A. Rice - Special to USAHockey.com

WNT Players Team Up With East Coast Wizards for ADM

09/22/2014, 5:00pm MDT
By Justin A. Rice - Special to USAHockey.com

Tag(s): Home  World Championships