By Ellen Martino
Published: January 5, 2010
Which sport is must-see at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games? While there are many talented athletes to watch, one sport that really cannot be missed is women’s hockey. The one true team sport at the Winter Olympic Games has 
everything a fan craves: incredible talent, intense rivalries and fierce desire to win gold.
The U.S. National team is coming off a successful two years – taking home the World Championships in 2008 and 2009 and ranking No. 1 in the world for the first time. The team comprises of a group of talented young players, led by a group of accomplished veteran Olympians who believe 2010 is their year.
They have their sights on beating Canada – gold medal winners in the 2002 and 2006 Games. Team USA has not won the gold medal since the sport debuted in 1998, but believes that it has enough talent and desire to reclaim it. Three-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero, who has experienced the joy of winning gold and the disappointment of falling short, leads this talented group, helping them understand where they have been and where they want to be.
In the following article, we will preview the 2009 - 2010 National team – who they are and why this team has a good chance to overcome Canada on their home ice and other hungry, talented teams and bring home the 2010 Olympic gold medal.
The Notion of Team
During World Cup events in other sports, the majority of American athletes are fighting for a chance to compete in the Olympics. In contrast, the U.S. hockey roster was announced in August, alleviating any pressure of competing against one another leading up to Vancouver. For hockey players, pre-Olympic competition is not about making the team, but about learning how to play together, as a part of the team. World Cup events are about becoming a cohesive unit, which brings a unique spirit and energy to the sport.
And while talent and star power are important, the women’s hockey team success is not hinged on one or two players’ performance, but on how well each plays together. A team might have all the stars in the world, but if the individuals are not willing to make sacrifices, the team will ultimately fail. Luckily, this team has got it all – incredible talent and team unity. Ruggiero says that this is the key.
“I think that’s rare when you find a true team that wants to succeed and also really cares for each other,” said Ruggiero. “It’s a pretty cool situation when you can get everyone on the same page in a team setting and the younger players are willing to check their ego at the door to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
Youthful Energy
The U.S. National team is starkly different than that of 2006. With an almost completely new roster, the team is made up of talented young players who have never been to the Olympic Games. Only six Olympic veterans return, and the energy and skill of the young players drives the identity of the team heading to Vancouver.
Rising star goalie Jessie Vetter is one of the most-talked about rookies of the national team, and for good reason. Vetter has proven herself as a member of the talented national team over the past two years; and in 2009, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin, where she became the first goalie in history to compete in four straight national championship games, leading her team to victory in three of the four games.
The 23-year-old has also received numerous honors, including the Patty Kazmaier Award and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Team Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2009. Vetter transitioned from college to international competition with ease, coming up with big saves throughout her two years competing on the U.S. national team, including 39 saves in the 2009 World Championships.
Despite these incredible accomplishments, Vetter has never been to the Olympics, which brings a new level excitement to her game.
“It’s definitely a huge honor as a woman athlete. The highest we can get is the Olympics, and that’s what we dream about playing in college that maybe one day we’ll get the opportunity to wear the red, white and blue and represent your country. It’s a pretty special feeling once we get there in Vancouver – I’ll have goosebumps every time I’m on the ice and I’m really looking forward to it.”
This new experience for the majority of Team U.S.A. will bring freshness to the team, and another level of intrigue to their match-ups come February.
Another player to watch is 20-year-old forward Hilary Knight. As a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, Knight led the Badgers to yet another National Championship in 2009 and led the NCAA with 45 goals, 43 assists, 83 points and 16 power-play goals. Ruggiero had high praise for the young forward.
“She’s our youngest player, but she’s strong and big and fast, and shoots the puck better than anyone else on the ice. I think she just has a really amazing snapshot, and can get to the net. She is definitely going to make an impact in Vancouver.”
Experienced Veterans
While rookies overwhelm the roster, the leaders that keep their energy in check cannot be forgotten. According to Ruggiero, this is one of the main challenges of having a very young team.
“Our biggest weakness is managing that energy, making sure we’re playing smart out there. We don’t have as many veterans as we’ve had in the past, so we have to make sure that we’re all on the same page when we get there.”
As a three-time Olympian, Ruggiero knows what it takes to win an Olympic gold. She takes her role as a leader very seriously, showing the younger players the ropes, answering their questions and making sure they are ready to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
The pressure of the Olympic Games can be daunting for a rookie. Ruggiero has offered important advice about keeping your head in the game, despite distractions.
“It’s just hockey,” Ruggiero advised young players. “Try not to think about all the other things going on around you, even if it is the biggest stage. Just try to focus in on what you can control, and that’s just the sport itself.”
Her understanding of the Olympic experience and her development as a leader has been 15 years in the making. Joining the national team at 15-years-old and turning 30 in January, Ruggiero will have been on the team for half her life. As a high school senior, she won the gold medal in Nagano, Japan in the first year that women’s hockey was an Olympic sport.
She competed in the next two Olympics, in 2002 and 2006, where she was named the top defenseman. In addition to her participation in the Olympic Games, Ruggiero became the first woman in North America to play on a men’s professional hockey team, playing alongside her brother in the Central Hockey League’s Tulsa Oilers. The Ruggieros are honored in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the first sibling duo to play professional hockey together.
Even after playing for 15 years, Ruggiero still has a deep passion for the sport, which is why she decided to come back for her fourth Olympic Games.
“I felt like there was some unfinished business in my career. Winning the gold, silver, and then the bronze…my goal was to come back and try to get a gold medal here in Vancouver…you can always work, but you can’t always be an Olympic athlete and once you retire, it’s hard to go back. I thought why not train hard for one more if I had the support around me, and try to just finish my career on top.”
Beating Canada
It may seem that playing top rival Canada on their home ice would be intimidating, but Ruggiero and company are ready for the challenge. If anything, home ice will be a disadvantage for Team Canada, who will have to deal with the expectations of an entire nation on its shoulders. As for any animosity between players, Ruggiero explains that the two teams respect each other; in fact, the high level of competition that a U.S. – Canada game brings is beneficial for the sport.
“There’s no better game in the world in women’s hockey than a U.S. – Canada match-up. So I love playing them, you know it’s going to be an intense game, and you know you've got be on in order to win.”
In the pre-Olympic season, the U.S. is 3-5 against Canada, which included a disappointing loss to Canada in the Four Nations Cup, a tournament that includes the top four women’s hockey nations. However, Team USA took the loss as a positive experience – an opportunity to grow as a team.
“Since we lost to them last month we improved a lot. We’ve worked really hard and it’s kept us honest in a way,” explains Ruggiero. “We never focus on the other team, it’s always about ourselves, and I think we’re really maturing as a group right now. Even though we’re a young team, we’re really starting to mature and everyone’s understanding what it’s going to take to be successful.”
The U.S.’s first Olympic game will be played on February 14, 2010 at 12:00 PST.