USA Women’s hockey team sparks
interest in the Sunshine State
By SAMANTHA CANNING
Florida Hockey Life
The U.S. Women’s Naonal team has the top ranking
in the world, having dominated on the internaonal
hockey stage since an overme loss to anada in the
2014 Winter lympics.
This fall, Team USA relocated to Wesley hapel in Pasco
ounty to train at Florida Hospital enter ce in preparaon for
the 2018 Winter lympics in Pyeonghang, South orea. Part
of that preparaon included enter ce hosng the preliminary
rounds of the 201 Four Naons up.
With the team training in the Tampa ay area there was an
immediate impact felt in the hockey community in Florida. Tampa
ay runch players Elijeanne Turgeon and Samantha Lassman
spoke about what it was like having the naonal team here.
“Having the tournament here is really important,” Turgeon
said. “t helps grow hockey in Florida and makes me want to play
here even more. t makes me want to play harder, because want
to be like them when ’m older. want to go to the lympics one
day.”
“nowing that they’re the best in the world and that they’re
training in Tampa, think that shows that you can train and play
somewhere like Florida and sll be the best,” Lassman said.
runch coach Alyssa rogan commented on the posive
impact of the naonal team, saying, “Having the lympic team
training in the Tampa ay area has provided girls with opportuni-
es they have never had before. For the rst mes in their lives,
they can watch in person and see what they can become. Their
dreams are no longer hidden behind a T screen but in front of
them, in autographs and interacons.
“The eposure in a non-tradional market like Tampa will
only help grow the game at all levels,” she connued. “We are