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Teammates were still celebrating a record-breaking season and national title when five members of the Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team locked in on their next goal.
Senior forward Lacey Eden, junior forwards Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms, junior defender Caroline Harvey and sophomore goaltender Ava McNaughton are in Czechia, suiting up for Team USA as it chases an 11th gold medal in the IIHF women’s world championship.
The first of four preliminary round games is Wednesday against Finland; quarterfinals are April 17, semifinals April 19 and the championship and bronze-medal games April 20. All games are set for coverage by the NHL Network.
Eden, Edwards, Harvey and Simms were part of the team that won the silver medal last year, and Eden and Harvey won gold in 2023.
Other members on the Team USA roster familiar to fans of the 2024-25 Badgers include Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy, who leveled Harvey with a questionable hit in their Frozen Four semifinal, and Ohio State’s Joy Dunne, who scored against UW in the championship game.
In a telephone interview after practice Sunday, Eden talked about the lingering joy of the championship, the quick turnaround and the adjustment to wearing the same uniform as players who just had been fierce rivals.
Edens: Obviously it was super fun. Really good group that we had together. Once we got home, we took a couple days and hung out, had a good time together, kind of enjoyed each other’s company as the season came to an end. It was spring break, so a lot of people went in different directions after that. So it was nice to have a day just to be together after that type of accomplishment.
A: Especially with how that game went down, that game was special because of how we won. Going into those last couple of minutes, we were obviously fighting for our lives in that moment to come out on top. It was kind of like a “wow” moment, like, “wow, we did that!” That made it super special. And I don’t think it sunk in right away. I think there was a lot of shock that went with how the game went down. So I think it took a little bit to sink in, but once it did, we were able to look back on our season and be proud of everything that we’ve accomplished.
A: It’s just in how I prepare every single day. Coming to the rink, I’m obviously preparing myself to be the best for my Wisconsin team, doing extra work, extra skills, just getting ready for those games, but in the background I’m also preparing myself for this world championship at the same time. So it’s pretty sweet to be able to ride all the way to the end of the season with the Wisconsin group and accomplish that goal, and then have a few days to switch that mindset.
I took two or three days off after the national championship, and then I was right back on the ice getting ready for worlds, starting to rebuild with some skill work, some speed work and all that. You accomplish that one goal with one team, but immediately that mindset switched, and now the new goal is the world championship.
And that world championship is always at the back of your mind too. You know when it’s going to be. Longevity is probably key in that aspect.
A: Not when you have this group of girls with the skill level. I mean, we’ve all been around each other for a while. We all like know how each other play by now, even if we’re only brought together for short periods of time.
With the skill level of the group of girls here, it’s really easy to become a unit, and it doesn't really matter what happens with your regular-season teams or your club teams, because when you get here, you’re part of something bigger than yourselves. You’re part of Team USA, so you’re representing your flag and want to put everything into that.
A: It’s great. I love coming together with this USA team, because the pace is just so fast. Everybody is so dialed in. Everybody’s so focused, like nobody ever skips a rep, and we push each other to be the best versions of ourselves on and off the ice. And I think that’s why this group is so special.
A: (The championship is) always the expectation. I think every day that we’re together, we want to get 1% better, just in that little edge so that we’re prepared for when playoffs roll around in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women's hockey, Team USA world championships Lacey Eden Q&A
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Senior forward Lacey Eden, junior forwards Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms, junior defender Caroline Harvey and sophomore goaltender Ava McNaughton are in Czechia, suiting up for Team USA as it chases an 11th gold medal in the IIHF women’s world championship.
The first of four preliminary round games is Wednesday against Finland; quarterfinals are April 17, semifinals April 19 and the championship and bronze-medal games April 20. All games are set for coverage by the NHL Network.
Eden, Edwards, Harvey and Simms were part of the team that won the silver medal last year, and Eden and Harvey won gold in 2023.
Other members on the Team USA roster familiar to fans of the 2024-25 Badgers include Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy, who leveled Harvey with a questionable hit in their Frozen Four semifinal, and Ohio State’s Joy Dunne, who scored against UW in the championship game.
In a telephone interview after practice Sunday, Eden talked about the lingering joy of the championship, the quick turnaround and the adjustment to wearing the same uniform as players who just had been fierce rivals.
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Q: These past couple of weeks have been such a such a whirlwind. How did you celebrate the national championship?
Edens: Obviously it was super fun. Really good group that we had together. Once we got home, we took a couple days and hung out, had a good time together, kind of enjoyed each other’s company as the season came to an end. It was spring break, so a lot of people went in different directions after that. So it was nice to have a day just to be together after that type of accomplishment.
Q: Do you have those moments where the feeling of accomplishment just sort of hits you out of the blue, moments of realization?
A: Especially with how that game went down, that game was special because of how we won. Going into those last couple of minutes, we were obviously fighting for our lives in that moment to come out on top. It was kind of like a “wow” moment, like, “wow, we did that!” That made it super special. And I don’t think it sunk in right away. I think there was a lot of shock that went with how the game went down. So I think it took a little bit to sink in, but once it did, we were able to look back on our season and be proud of everything that we’ve accomplished.
Q: You spent seven months focused on that one goal with that one group, and then right away, you go on to this other big deal with another group. How do you refocus?
A: It’s just in how I prepare every single day. Coming to the rink, I’m obviously preparing myself to be the best for my Wisconsin team, doing extra work, extra skills, just getting ready for those games, but in the background I’m also preparing myself for this world championship at the same time. So it’s pretty sweet to be able to ride all the way to the end of the season with the Wisconsin group and accomplish that goal, and then have a few days to switch that mindset.
I took two or three days off after the national championship, and then I was right back on the ice getting ready for worlds, starting to rebuild with some skill work, some speed work and all that. You accomplish that one goal with one team, but immediately that mindset switched, and now the new goal is the world championship.
And that world championship is always at the back of your mind too. You know when it’s going to be. Longevity is probably key in that aspect.
You must be registered for see images attach
Q: You have (on this team) some people you’ve been working with but also some people you worked very hard against, and in some cases maybe it wasn’t always smooth. Is it hard to bring a team together in short order like this?
A: Not when you have this group of girls with the skill level. I mean, we’ve all been around each other for a while. We all like know how each other play by now, even if we’re only brought together for short periods of time.
With the skill level of the group of girls here, it’s really easy to become a unit, and it doesn't really matter what happens with your regular-season teams or your club teams, because when you get here, you’re part of something bigger than yourselves. You’re part of Team USA, so you’re representing your flag and want to put everything into that.
Q: How have the first few days been on the ice?
A: It’s great. I love coming together with this USA team, because the pace is just so fast. Everybody is so dialed in. Everybody’s so focused, like nobody ever skips a rep, and we push each other to be the best versions of ourselves on and off the ice. And I think that’s why this group is so special.
Q: And what are the expectations?
A: (The championship is) always the expectation. I think every day that we’re together, we want to get 1% better, just in that little edge so that we’re prepared for when playoffs roll around in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women's hockey, Team USA world championships Lacey Eden Q&A
Continue reading...
