U.S. Women’s National Team Provided Plenty of Smiles for Girls’ Hockey Players at Local Cleveland Practice
The U.S. Women’s National Team provided many girls youth hockey players a night that they will never forget.
Team USA partnered with the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and several local youth hockey associations, including the Cleveland Barons, to hold a “Skate with the Stars” event at the Brunswick Auto Mart Arena near Cleveland during the first stop of the 2025 Rivalry Series, presented by Discover.
“It just gave them inspiration,” said Wendy Brown, program manager of the Cleveland Barons and hockey director for the Lady Barons. “They were just so happy and excited that they got to meet and talk to the players.”
Brown said more than 100 girls and their families registered to skate with members of the U.S. women’s hockey team several days before the first of the four-game 2025 Rivalry Series against Canada in Cleveland.
Abbey Murphy recorded a hat trick and Taylor Heise tallied four points during the 4-1 victory in Cleveland. The U.S. then defeated Canada 6-1 in the second leg of the Rivalry Series in Buffalo.
Murphy was one of four players who participated in a practice with about 30 members of the 14U Cleveland Barons girls hockey team. Also practicing with the team were Hannah Bilka and a pair of Ohio State standouts, Emma Peschel and Joy Dunne, whose brother Josh is currently in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres but previously played with the Cleveland Monsters.
“These girls are great leaders in the girls’ hockey world,” said Emily Busta, head coach of the 14U Cleveland Barons. “I hope they realize the impact they had in just that hour alone on my players. Our players won’t forget that. It was a great experience.”
The public skate and autograph session, which took place before the Barons’ practice, featured Laila Edwards, a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, in addition to Gwyneth Philips of nearby Athens, Ohio, along with Tessa Janecke and Caroline Harvey.
“I was so impressed with those girls,” Busta said. “They were all just incredibly classy. I hope it sticks with our players how cool this moment was.”
Busta said the national team members surprised her players by joining them at their practice. She was grateful that they skated with her players, talked with them, ran through drills and more.
Dunne took a stick from an assistant coach and participated in one of the drills with the players, while others chatted and went through the practice lines.
“To be able to say that Joy Dunne came out on the ice and did a drill with me, that’s the coolest story you’re going to tell in school the next day,” Busta said. “It definitely makes them tune into their games or follow these girls on social media to see how they reached that point. Anytime you make a relationship with someone at that level, only good things and mentorship can come of it.”
One practice challenge was to score 10 goals in an allotted time period. If they didn’t reach the mark, they would have to skate, but if they did, the defense skated. Claire Orsky scored the 10th and winning goal for the offense in the drill.
“When Claire scored that 10th goal, all the Team USA girls skated to her like she just scored the winning goal in an Olympic game,” Busta said. “They freaked out and loved it. I never saw so many smiles at a practice before.”
Edwards didn’t practice with the Barons, but she offered inspirational words, as she talked with members of the team on the bench. Edwards previously played with the 10U Cleveland Barons youth hockey team at one point in her career.
“Laila is an icon here and it was great to see her again,” Brown said. “She’s so humble and I don’t think she realizes how inspirational she really is.”
Edwards is a prime example to the girls who attended the public skating session and the practice that anything is possible in their hockey careers.
“It definitely had an impact because the girls could see that if you put in the work that this is a realistic goal,” Busta said. “Especially when Laila talked to the girls because she reminded them that if you want it, it’s right here and they can go and get it. It was a pretty unreal experience and an all-around really awesome night.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
