OLYMPICS: Ice hockey-Coach Wroblewski credits players as US close in on Olympic crown

MILAN – The United States women’s ice hockey team is one step away from Olympic gold after a commanding 5-0 semi-final victory over Sweden on Monday, with coach John Wroblewski quickly deflecting praise to his players.

Wroblewski, who took over the team months after the U.S. suffered a heartbreaking loss to Canada in the 2022 Beijing Games final, downplayed his role in the team’s success.

“This is an athlete base that dreams of gold,” Wroblewski told reporters. “My role is to be in service mode—learning about our opponents and preparing the players so they can go out and win the medal they deserve. I get chills thinking about helping them.”

Five different players scored in Monday’s win — Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne, and Hayley Scamurra — highlighting the depth and dominance of the U.S. team in Milan.

“Now that we’re here, that’s the bullseye,” Wroblewski said about winning the tournament. “It’s a period by period, meeting by meeting, gradual process. There’s a mandate among the players and staff for daily growth.”

The U.S. will face either Canada or Switzerland in Thursday’s final, with emotions running high. Captain Hilary Knight, a four-time Olympic medalist, is one goal away from becoming the U.S.’s all-time Olympic scoring leader, currently tied at 14.

Knight did not score against Sweden, but her teammates said her leadership extends far beyond statistics.

“It’s an honor to see how she goes about things every day,” Heise said. “She’s a leader whose actions mean everything. Simply put, we are not here without her. She’s amazing and a big reason why we’re in the final.”

-Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Milan, Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters