Caroline Harvey is a 19-year old forward for the U.S. women’s hockey team, and she will be one of the youngest players on the Olympic roster in Pyeongchang.
The USA women’s hockey getting younger is a topic that has been in the news recently. There are many people who believe that this is due to the fact that the USA women’s hockey team has been recruiting players from a younger age. Caroline Harvey, an 18 year old player on the team, can be seen as proof of this. Read more in detail here: hockey periods.
Caroline Harvey, 18, was the youngest player in attendance at the United States women’s national team selection camp in June. And she had no clue what she would be doing for the next several months.
Harvey was scheduled to start her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin the next week if she didn’t make the national hockey team. She had previously chosen an English 100 class.
And what if she made the team? Harvey would delay, instead competing in the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary, a months-long residency program in Minnesota, and the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing with her considerably older colleagues.
“Not knowing how things would play out was a bit nerve-wracking,” Harvey remarked.
During the tryouts, Harvey, a defender from Massachusetts, stood out. She was much too talented to be left off the team.
Megan Keller, a seasoned American defender, remarked, “She’s very talented.” “I simply like to watch her practice. Her skating skills and the things she can do with the puck make her a lot of pleasure to watch, particularly at her age. There’s also a tiny Energizer Bunny out there.”
Harvey is expected to join the Badgers in the spring of 2019. She may be a household name by the time she arrives.
Right present, the United States women’s hockey team is on top of the world. In 2018, the squad overcame their Olympic adversity by defeating rival Canada to win its first Olympic gold medal in 20 years. The ladies will participate in the global tournament, which starts Friday and continues through Aug. 31, before defending their title in Beijing. The Americans have won five of the last nine events.
However, the pandemic’s stop-and-go nature has made things difficult, resulting in a cruel gambit of cancellations, reduced ice time, and reduced visibility. When the United States takes on Switzerland in the World Cup opener on Friday, it will have been 859 days since the squad last competed in a major international event.
There has been a lot of change on the roster in that period. In the last year, captain Meghan Duggan, twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando (who scored the winning and tying goals in the 2018 Olympic gold-medal game), and 15-year veteran Kacey Bellamy have all retired.
Megan Keller, who won gold with Team USA at the 2018 Olympics, said she was pleased by Caroline Harvey’s performance. Getty Images/Meg Oliphant
Keller stated, “We’ve seen a lot of veterans and ladies who have made this program what it is retire.” “You have more fresh faces, new teammates, and some new blood mixed in these last two years, especially with worlds being postponed twice. It’s wonderful to finally get this new bunch together. I believe we have a great combination.”
Harvey is the catalyst for a young movement. She’s one of four Americans born in the 2000s competing at the global championship, along with forwards Britta Curl, Lacey Eden, and Abbey Murphy, and one of seven rookies in total.
“One of the greatest things about being on the national team is being able to play alongside your role models,” Keller said, and Harvey has already done so. Harvey claimed she looked up to Bellamy as a child.
“We worked together at a couple of camps before she retired, and I learned a lot from her,” Harvey recalled. “It was fascinating not just to hear what she had to say, but also to see how she conducted herself. She was a lot of fun to be around, but when it came to being serious, like when we were training or warming up or cooling down, you could see how focused she was. She was witty and allowed that part of herself show when it was appropriate, but she also changed and could be very closed off when she wanted to be.”
Harvey will have the opportunity to play alongside players she admires, like as Hilary Knight, who enrolled at Wisconsin 14 years before Harvey, but she’s trying to absorb as much knowledge as she can from a variety of sources.
Harvey took “Dare to Make History,” by the Lamoureux twins, with her to Calgary for her five-day quarantine.
She’s also had some interaction with her new colleagues, but it’s not an usual one. Brianna Decker, one of the Americans’ alternative captains, was an assistant coach on Harvey’s U-18 squad. Keller’s Boston College roommate was one of Harvey’s club hockey instructors, who disclosed that Harvey is seldom referred to as Caroline.
“My sister couldn’t pronounce Caroline when I was a kid, so she nicknamed me KK instead,” Harvey said. “We were really young at the time, but it stayed.”
Harvey has had little trouble blending in with the older group. For their colleagues, she and Keller have been planning a TikTok dance. Harvey enjoys the same Netflix programs as her older colleagues, including “Outer Banks” and “All-American.” The locker room music is a different thing.
“When the music starts playing, we always ask, ‘OK, who knows this one,’ whether it’s a new or old one,” Keller remarked.
Harvey adds: “My parents taught me the tunes. Although they are not my parents’ age, I am familiar with some of the songs in a different manner.”
2 Related
It’s been an adjustment for Harvey to catch up to the top competitors.
“It’s the best of the best when you’re invited to a national team camp,” she added. “Seeing who you’ll be up against is very frightening. I was scared at first since I wasn’t accustomed to these females or the speed. Being the youngest and being here was certainly intimidating at first, but I’m getting used to it now.”
Harvey has spent her whole life in and around the rink. Her father used to take her to her elder brother’s practices, turning the stroller around so Harvey could observe. She was skating at the age of three. Harvey has spent her whole life in defense, with the exception of a short appearance as goalkeeper.
“I like viewing the whole ice and seeing plays develop,” she added. “I also like being aggressive on occasion and having that element in my game.”
Harvey’s speed and attacking prowess, according to Keller, are the greatest elements of her game, “but she’s not afraid to be rough.”
Harvey has gotten off to a great start. Harvey was penalized in the first preseason game against Russia this week. She then received a feed from Knight, took a shot, and scored on her own rebound to put the United States up 3-0. It’s consistent with Decker’s advice: “Play freely.” Don’t overthink things. Allow your intuition to guide you.
Harvey had a feeling she’d want to play at this point. She had not expected it to arrive so quickly.
“A year ago, I didn’t think much of it,” she said. “Now that I think about it, and the situation I’m in, it’s amazing how things happen.”
Related Tags
- ice hockey near me
- where was hockey invented
- youth hockey near me
