Today the USA Women’s Hockey Team will take on Canada in the gold medal match of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.  Women’s Olympic hockey was officially introduced in the 1998 Nagano Games.  Since then, the USA has medaled in three of the four games (’98 – Gold, ’02 – Silver & ’10 – Silver), while Canada has medaled in all four (’98 – Silver & ’02, ’06, ’10 – Gold).

Team USA and Team Canada are all too familiar with each other.  In 2010, Canada defeated the USA in the gold medal game in a close affair and the teams met in the preliminary round of the 2014 Games with Canada defeating the USA 3-2 in a great battle.

The continued success of the Canadian and US Olympic Women’s Teams has accelerated the growth and popularity of women’s hockey.  More and more young girls are starting to play youth hockey than ever before, while women’s college hockey continues to thrive.

Quest Hockey players Landon (7 years old) and Riley (9 years old) sporting their USA gear during their hockey lesson. The growth of youth hockey in the United States can largely be attributed to the recent success of the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Hockey teams.

Locally, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite feature five different youth girls teams ranging from U10 to U19, while Robert Morris University and Penn State University each have strong NCAA Division 1 Women’s Hockey Programs.  In fact, Brianne McLaughlin, a member of the USA Women’s Olympic Hockey Team, is the starting goaltender for RMU.

Each player’s quest started long before Sochi, Russia.  The late-night games on the frozen pond, the numerous practices at the local rink and the hours spent working out in the gym all encompass their hockey quest.  Supported by family and friends, they’ve worked their entire lives for the opportunity to win the gold medal for their country.  They should be commended for their hard work, sacrifice and determination that lead them to this point.

The women of the US Olympic Hockey Team serve as a great example for today’s aspiring youth girls hockey players.  Check out some of the players of Team USA on twitter, give them a follow and wish them good luck as they quest for the gold! #questafterit