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"we've made great strides, but we know that we have a lot more work to do. " — julie chu, three-time u.s. women's olympic team member Wednesday regulars Kacey Bellamy, Caitlin Cahow, Meghan Duggan, Molly Schaus, Hilary Knight, Gigi Marvin, Karen Thatcher, Anne Schleper, Kelly Steadman and Jen Schoullis, all of whom were living near Beantown while playing for the Boston Blades in the CWHL, were in attendance. They were joined by Sarah Erickson, Brianne McLaughlin and Jessie Vetter. Only a few years ago, Knight was the youngest player on the Team USA roster in Vancouver, and, one "quad" later, finds herself in a very different spot. "Moving out here was a big step," said Knight, a California native who moved to Illinois as a kid, attended prep school in Connecticut, and played four years at the University of Wisconsin. "USA Hockey has done a great job giving us practice time here. It's all coming together, and I'm really happy most of the girls out of college ended up moving here." As hectic as life can be for the Massachusetts-based players – with twiceweekly practices and a 24-game Blades season, frequent off-ice workouts with trainer Mike Boyle and weekly commutes out to The Edge – there is an inescapable reality threaded through it all: The golden road to Sochi begins here and now. "Every day, I come in and I know that's where I want to be, on the ice in the goldmedal game," said Knight, who added matter-of-factly that she wanted to be the best player in the world and to become a household name. "The famous quote we have is that the Olympics aren't every four years, they're every day." And even if the Olympics were more than 300 days away at the time, playing in them was never far from players' minds. Each of these hopefuls has put what Vetter called "big kid" jobs on hold, and they understand they've been given great gifts. USA Hockey considers this group among its best and brightest, deserving and capable of accepting the challenge of great expectations. "This team is training to become gold medalists," said Marvin, who grew up as part of a legendary hockey family in Warroad, Minn., and played for T eam USA in Vancouver. "There's such a level of commitment and dedication to being the best at your craft and not being satisfied. Skills have improved, and there's a reason for that. It's just remarkable, the talent. But, also, there's so much more to accomplish." Soon, the Games will become the sole focus for T eam USA's hopefuls, whose next test after the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship will arrive in the form of trying out for the team coach Katey Stone will take to Sochi. That challenge begins this summer in Lake Placid, N.Y. In other words, crunch time is coming. "Everyone knows that it's right around the corner," said Chu, who is gunning for a spot on her fourth U.S. Olympic T eam. "We've made great strides, but we know that we have a lot more work to do." USA Hockey, which hasn't won a gold medal since 1998, hopes that getting a T eam USA core together on a regular basis can only help pave the way. "My dream and goal in life was to go to the Olympics," said Bellamy, who wore the red, white and blue in Vancouver. "I was there, and that was amazing, but now I want to win a gold medal." N James MacDonald is a freelance writer based in Sandwich, Mass. Hilary Knight (below left) is looking to take her game to an even higher level in 2014, while Julie Chu (below) is hoping to make her fourth U.S. Women's Olympic Team. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM April/May. 2013 27