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1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team Announced to USOPC Hall of Fame Class of 2019

By USA Hockey, 09/23/19, 9:25AM EDT

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The team won the first ever gold medal in women's hockey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic and Paralympic committee announced today that the 1998 U.S. OIympic Women's Hockey Team has been named to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame Class of 2019. The team will be honored and inducted at an awards dinner on Friday, Nov. 1, at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The 1998 team, the only team in the Class of 2019, made history by winning the first ever Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey. The team had a powerful impact on the growth of girls and women's hockey in the United States thanks to the success it enjoyed in Nagano, Japan. The team twice defeated arch-rival Canada, including by a 3-1 count in the gold-medal game, en route to winning the first gold medal presented in women's ice hockey at an Olympic Winter Games. 

Behind the guidance of head coach Ben Smith, Team USA finished the tournament undefeated (6-0-0) and outscored its opponents, 36-8. Cammi Granato, a 2008 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee, Karyn Bye, Katie King and Gretchen Ulion co-led the U.S. with eight points each, while netminders Sarah Tueting and Sara DeCosta split time in goal, each winning three games. The team was inducted to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2009.

1998 Team Home

The inductees were determined by a voting process that included Olympians and Paralympians, members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and an online vote where nearly 200,000 votes were cast.

Joining the 1998 team are 12 other individual honorees from a number of different Olympic and Paralympic events. The inductees include Candace Cable (Para alpine skiing, Para Nordic skiing, Para track and field), Lisa Leslie (basketball), Nastia Liukin (gymnastics), Misty May-Treanor (beach volleyball), Apolo Anton Ohno (short track speedskating), Erin Popovich (Para swimming), Dara Torres (swimming), Chris Waddell (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field), John Carlos (legend: track and field), Tommie Smith (legend: track and field), Ron O’Brien (coach: diving) and Tim Nugent (special contributor).


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Hayley Scamurra, in the USA Hockey navy jersey, moves the puck along the boards with a Canada opponent right at her back