All of Team USA is focused on winning gold at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Östersund, Sweden – but for the seven players who were on the U.S. team that brought home silver from the 2022 World Championship in Madison, Wis., there is extra motivation and a level of comfort that comes with having competed at this level before. 

“It broke my heart with how badly I wanted to win,” said returning goaltender Annelies Bergmann (Detroit, Mich.), who compared the gold medal loss in 2022 to a breakup with a significant other. 

The others joining Bergmann back in red, white, and blue include Cassie Hall (South Lyon, Mich.), Molly Jordan (Berlin, Conn.), Ava Lindsay (Minnetonka, Minn.), Finley McCarthy (Whitefish, Mont.), Maggie Scannell (Wynantskill, N.Y.), and Josie St. Martin (Stillwater, Minn.). 

Bergmann feels like there are reminders everywhere of the loss, and thatshe’s seeing gold no matter where she looks. That has motivated the netminder to spend a few more minutes on the ice to get in reps. 

“When you break up, you ‘glow up’ and you try to get better,” she said. “We think we've done a great job of just working the best that I can – our whole team has. We've just gotten so much better. Every practice, every game, we're continuing on that upward trend.”

While players continue to develop their game on the ice, what they learn about how to manage the tournament off the ice is just as important, as it runs for multiple weeks, often overseas and adjusting to a different time zone. 

As the U18 World Championship is usually the first major tournament of a player’s national team career, this experience is crucial to both individual and team success because it is so rare. 

Having been here and gone through the motions also puts the returning players in a position to help mentor their younger teammates — something they didn’t get to experience with the previous year’s tournament having been canceled due to the pandemic. That just reinforced how important it is to have a mentor and someone you can model your habits after, according to Bergmann. 

Not only do the players see how their skills match up against the best in the world, but they also gain the comfort of knowing how to handle themselves on a condensed schedule and in a high-pressure environment. Confidence and comfort level help the players focus on the game and not be distracted. 

Hall said playing in the 2022 World Championship showed her exactly whatshe needed work on in her game. The forward committed herself the past few months to work on her strength and speed. 

“Playing against the best players in the world last year and now coming back, I know what to expect,” Hall said. 

Hall is relishing the ability to share that knowledge with younger players, saying all seven returners are leaders on and off the ice. They’re modeling the habits for the younger players so no one feels lost or unprepared when the puck drops. 

Bergmann already knows things are going more smoothly than her first U18 World Championship because she has experienced less difficulty in transitioning her game. Performing well in the 2022 tournament gave her the confidence to know she can adjust her game and taught her to be more patient and believe in her own instincts as a goalie. 

There hardly needs to be additional motivation to win a gold medal, but none of these players want to feel like they did when they lost in 2022.

This tight-knit 2023 group wants to win for each other, but especially for the seven returning members who are driving the team forward. Each member of this team puts pressure on themselves to be the best – that kind of expectation can be overwhelming, but if it’s channeled correctly, it can lead to great results. 

Team USA will continue its journey to gold on Saturday, Jan. 14, when it faces Sweden in the first semifinal game of the tournament at 10 am ET live on NHL Network. 

The U.S. has already gotten two solid results with a 6-3 win over Sweden and an 8-1 win over Finland in group play, despite dropping a 3-1 loss to Canada in its final preliminary round game. 

The seven returning players have come back a little older and wiser post-“glow up,” and ready to lead the team to the goal it set out to achieve at the start of this tournament – a gold medal. 

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

All of Team USA is focused on winning gold at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Östersund, Sweden – but for the seven players who were on the U.S. team that brought home silver from the 2022 World Championship in Madison, Wis., there is extra motivation and a level of comfort that comes with having competed at this level before. 

“It broke my heart with how badly I wanted to win,” said returning goaltender Annelies Bergmann (Detroit, Mich.), who compared the gold medal loss in 2022 to a breakup with a significant other. 

The others joining Bergmann back in red, white, and blue include Cassie Hall (South Lyon, Mich.), Molly Jordan (Berlin, Conn.), Ava Lindsay(Minnetonka, Minn.), Finley McCarthy (Whitefish, Mont.), Maggie Scannell (Wynantskill, N.Y.), and Josie St. Martin (Stillwater, Minn.). 

Bergmann feels like there are reminders everywhere of the loss, and thatshe’s seeing gold no matter where she looks. That has motivated the netminder to spend a few more minutes on the ice to get in reps. 

“When you break up, you ‘glow up’ and you try to get better,” she said. “I think I've done a great job of just working the best that I can – our whole team has. We've just gotten so much better. Every practice, every game, we're continuing on that upward trend.” 

While players continue to develop their game on the ice, what they learn about how to manage the tournament off the ice is just as important, as it runs for multiple weeks, often overseas and adjusting to a different time zone. 

There hardly needs to be additional motivation to win a gold medal, but none of these players want to feel like they did when they lost in 2022.

This tight-knit 2023 group wants to win for each other, but especially for the seven returning members who are driving the team forward. Each member of this team puts pressure on themselves to be the best – that kind of expectation can be overwhelming, but if it’s channeled correctly, it can lead to great results. 

Team USA will continue its journey to gold on Saturday, Jan. 14, when it faces Sweden in the first semifinal game of the tournament at 10 am ET live on NHL Network. 

The U.S. has already gotten two solid results with a 6-3 win over Sweden and an 8-1 win over Finland in group play, despite dropping a 3-1 loss to Canada in its final preliminary round game. 

The seven returning players have come back a little older and wiser post-“glow up,” and ready to lead the team to the goal it set out to achieve at the start of this tournament – a gold medal. 

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.