From South Bend to Gold: Irish Duo Steers Team USA
Notre Dame hockey alumni John Wroblewski and Josh Sciba played critical coaching roles for the United States Women’s Hockey team at the Winter Olympics. Wroblewski, the head coach, and Sciba, an assistant, led the squad to a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Canada for the gold medal. The U.S. had previously dominated group play and overcame a first-period deficit with Hilary Knight’s late equalizer and Megan Keller’s overtime winner. Goalie Aerin Franklin was stellar, stopping 30 of 31 shots. This marks the third Olympic gold in U.S. women’s hockey history, joining 1998 and 2018, and underscores the intense Canada–USA rivalry on the Olympic ice.
Who knew the Fighting Irish could do more than dodge cornerbacks? They’ve now lobbed goalposts at the best Canada had to offer. While you might have assumed football players ate trophy feasts at the top of the podium, it turns out a couple of ECHL cast-offs were moonlighting as hockey ringmasters in the Rockies. The scene is equal parts Feel-Good Amputated Sports Movie and Mad Scientist Laboratory: one man sobs triumphantly while the other scrambles to install the victory plug-in. Step aside, men’s tournament snoozefest; the ladies are teaching lessons on clutch goals and classy tears. Here’s hoping Notre Dame applies the same gold-plated coaching to a stadium near you next fall—hairnets optional.
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