This week, three current and three former Gophers are suiting up for the U.S. Women's National Team for the Four Nations Cup in Vantaa & Kerava, Finland. This blog will give you a first-hand insight on what the current Gophers (Megan Bozek, Amanda Kessel and Milica McMillen) are experiencing during their time with the national team.


Hello from Finland!

We just ended Day 2 of our week here in Finland. Today, we played our first game and pulled out a 4-0 win over Sweden!

We got to sleep in today, which was nice after traveling all day and then having practice right after. We had our pregame meal, a team meeting, and then had some down time. Everyone has their own ways of preparing for game, such as: getting treatment, doing homework or taking naps. I decided to go with a little homework and then a nap before leaving for the rink.

Our first game of the tournament was against Sweden, and we won 4-0 in a fast and physical game. One of our defensemen, Lisa Chesson, got hurt in the opening two minutes, right after she scored the first goal. So we had to roll with six defensemen for the rest of the game. We scored two more goals in the second period, and then in the third period, my roommate Brianna Decker scored!

It was a lot of fun getting to wear the USA jersey again. This is only my second time with the senior team and first major tournament. We have all different players ranging from veterans to first-timers. The veterans are a lot of help and have great advice on and off the ice for us newer players, so we get to know the team and program better. Meghan Duggan, who is the assistant captain of the team, pulled some of us aside today to tell us to have fun and relax. It's really nice to have the support around us as we try to adjust, and it's worked so far!

We play Canada tomorrow, so it's time to get some rest!

Have a nice day,
Milica McMillen