Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Dear Team USA Women's Hockey: Some motivation

"Great moments, they say, are born from great opportunity." --- Herb Brooks, 1980 Team USA Men's Olympic hockey coach


Sure, that's borrowing from the legendary 1980 team --- and Kurt Russell --- who played Brooks so brilliantly in the dramatized movie "Miracle," which depicts the United States pulling off the greatest upset, literally, of all-time over the Soviets.

"That's what you have here today," the legendary quote from Brooks and Russell continues.

Amateur kids beating professionals.



It inspires something human in all of us, simply because such things don't happen often. The guy no one has ever heard of doesn't just walk into a gym with Michael Jordan in his prime and beat him, now, does he?

This is why we are compelled to root for the underdog. The moment where we all believe something is possible, no matter how high the mountaintop, or how insurmountable the odds seem.

Life is full of such stories. In every sport.

And so here we find the U.S. women's hockey team, 34 years later, on the other side of the world, a generation-plus away from that time and place in Lake Placid, trying to make history of their own.

With the clock ticking down to Thursday's puck drop in the gold medal game against heated, bitter rival Canada, this is one of those moments, too, where anything is possible.

Some of these ladies have been dreaming of playing hockey in a men's sports-dominated world for their entire young lives, hoping beyond hope to do what once seemed impossible. To do what they watched their heroes do.

Just a day ago, in the gold medal qualifying game, Team USA's ladies outshot Sweeden 70-9 (that's not a misprint) to advance, in a 6-1 victory so dominant, it almost defied logic. They've outshot their opponents by a 200-65 margin in these Olympics.

Unlike their male counterparts, these women will not return home to careers in hockey, because there is not a woman's NHL. These are college kids, most who will never again see an opportunity to do such a thing in their lives.

Some may never play again competitively.

The moment, what's at stake, is very, very real.

Looking Team USA right in the eyes in the gold medal game are those pesky Canadians, who handed the Americans their only loss of these Sochi Olympic games.

Win or lose, players like Kendall Coyne, goalie Jessie Vetter and Buffalo Grove's own Megan Bozek and the entire U.S. roster have the talent to win it all. There is no denying that. To take this moment and mold it into their own masterpiece.

When the puck drops, every shift, every bit of smarts, hustle, poise and energy will matter. In prior contests, it has been chippy and downright nasty between the two clubs at times. And though that's likely to stay the same to a degree, Team USA must realize now is not the time for flexing its muscle or ego.

This is the time for them to "play their game," much like Brooks shouted to his club late against the Soviets when they held an unlikely lead.

This is the time to block all the past nonsense out, and do what you all have done best from the moment you laced up those skates for the first time.

Let Canada play their own psychological games ... it's all a distraction.

And besides, how sweet would it be to fly back home with your faces all smiling and gleaming on the Wheaties box.

Know what else gleams?

A gold medal.

Your move, ladies. This is YOUR time. Their time?

Is done.

Best of luck.

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