MiHockey writer plays for Team USA at World University Games, recounts her experience

In the month of December, collegiate players from across the country competed for Team USA at the World University Games in Italy. MiHockey writer Staci Burlingame, a senior at Michigan State University, was a member of the women’s team that captured bronze overseas. Here is her first-person account of her experiences playing for her country.

By Staci Burlingame –

Growing up as a hockey player, my dreams were often different than many girls my age. Playing for Team USA was one dream of mine that probably seemed unreachable to most. When I put on my first pair of skates on at the age of two, I never expected I would be living out that dream I had as a little girl 20 years later.

Rewinding back to last April, after my season with Michigan State University ended, I was informed that the coach of the women’s national university team had struck some interest in me. I had heard of the World University Games before, as a few MSU students were selected for the previous games, but never expected to have a chance at attending myself.

The World University Games is the second-largest international competition, second to the Olympics, which is held in the Winter and Summer every two years. The 2013 Winter games were scheduled to be held in Trentino, Italy from December 10-21st. This would only be the second time the USA was sending a women’s hockey team to the tournament.

Months went by though, and I had heard nothing more about the team. Come July, I had pretty much come to terms with the fact I may not have been selected.

On Aug. 28, my phone lit up with an unfamiliar phone number across it. I typically don’t answer these phone calls, as I was fed up with telemarketers, but I did that day. Mo Stroemel, the head coach of the USA Women’s National University Team, was on the other line. “Do you want to go to Italy with us?” were the first words out of his mouth after the initial greeting.

My heart dropped (obviously I said yes). I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that in a short few months I would be living out my dream of putting on a USA sweater.

It became official in October when the roster was announced and my name was on it. At that point, December seemed so far away.

Before I knew it, it was Dec. 4 and I was on a plane to Chicago to meet the rest of the team. Our first practice was that same night, only a few hours after we all officially met, and the next day we were on a plane to Munich, Germany.

The next two and a half weeks were a whirlwind. The six- hour time change had an immediate effect on most of us and within the first three days of being in Europe, we traveled from Germany to Italy to Austria. After winning all three exhibition games and many long bus rides, we made it back to the small town of Levico, Italy where we would stay for the games the remainder of the trip.

 

We played five round-robin games in seven days and with a 3-2 record, took the third place seed going into the semifinals. Our wins came against Russia, Great Britain, and Spain, with a loss to Japan and Canada.

Our semifinal game put us up against Russia, where we came up short and lost in a shootout. Although it was heartbreaking to be so close to the gold medal game, we still had a chance to come home with a medal.

We did just that a couple days later when we defeated Japan for the bronze medal. Our team became the first USA hockey team, men or women, to win a medal at the World University Games.

The entire experience was a dream to me. As I collected my diploma from Michigan State University in December and move on to different things, I could not have asked for a better way to end my college hockey career.

Putting on the colors of my country and representing the USA in an international competition is something I will continue to cherish. It is an impossible feeling to describe, but a feeling I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

If you take away anything from reading about my experience may it be this; if you dream something, no matter how big or small, you are capable of achieving it. I am now an avid believer in that.