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4 things to know as the United States men’s and women’s hockey teams pursue gold
Several players on both rosters have local ties, including Hopkinton's Sean Farrell and Hingham's Matty Beniers.
The United States men’s hockey team is on the hunt for its third Olympic gold medal ever and first since its magical run in 1980. The United States women’s hockey team is looking to repeat after capturing its second gold medal in 2018.
Here’s a closer look at both teams, which feature plenty of local talent thriving on an international stage:
Here’s a big-picture view.
The men’s team cruised past China, 8-0, and earned its first win over Canada (4-2) in 12 years Friday. It’s set to face Germany on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 8:10 a.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Feb. 14-16. The gold medal game is set for Feb. 19.
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The women’s team cruised past Finland, 5-2, ROC, 5-0, and Switzerland, 8-0. It lost to Canada, 4-2, but responded with a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic to earn a spot in the semifinals against Finland. That matchup is set for Monday, Feb. 14, at 8:10 a.m. ET on NBCOlympics.com, Peacock, and USA Network. The gold medal game is slated for Feb. 16.
The men’s team has many locals involved.
Hingham native Matty Beniers, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. At 19, he’s the youngest player on an extremely young roster.
Sean Farrell of Hopkinton, who plays at Harvard University, had a hat trick in the win over China.
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“What motivates me as an athlete is kind of just to make everyone who’s helped me throughout the years proud,” Farrell said.
Other members with local ties include Norwell/Boston University goalie Drew Commesso, North Billerica/Boston College forward Marc McLaughlin, and Marshfield/former Boston University defenseman David Warsofsky.
Nick Abruzzese plays at Harvard, Drew Helleson plays at Boston College, Steven Kampfer played for the Bruins, and Aaron Ness plays for the Providence Bruins, among other connections.
Head coach David Quinn (Cranston, Rhode Island/former player and coach at BU), goaltending coach David Lassonde (Durham, New Hampshire/Dartmouth and New Hampshire coach), and assistant coach Scott Young (Clinton) are all in the mix as well.
You can find a full breakdown here.
So does the women’s team.
Alex Carpenter (North Reading), Cayla Barnes, and Megan Keller shined at Boston College. Kendall Coyne Schofield (who scored against the Czech Republic) and Hayley Scamura dazzled at Northeastern, Jesse Compher at Boston University, and superstar Hilary Knight played for the Boston Blades and Boston Pride.
Caroline Harvey is from Salem, New Hampshire, and assistant coaches Courtney Kennedy (Woburn, Boston College) and Brian Pothier (New Bedford) are on the staff.
You can find a full breakdown here.
Here’s a closer look at their odds going into the tournament.
The men entered with the sixth-best odds to win it all (+1600), behind ROC, Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the Czech Republic.
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The women entered with the best odds (-115) to capture another championship, just ahead of Canada (-105) and well ahead of Finland, ROC, and the rest of the field.
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