Meet the 23 US Women's Hockey Players Trying to Defend Gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Updated on 2/11/2022 at 8:35 PM

Team USA is once again in the playoffs of the Olympic women's hockey tournament, and if you haven't already, you're going to want to get to know these impressive athletes. The 23-player Olympic roster includes 15 returning Olympians, 13 of whom were on the gold-medal-winning team in 2018, as well as eight athletes making their Olympic debut. Of those with prior Olympic experience, four are competing in their third Winter Games. Meanwhile, legend Hilary Knight is making her fourth Olympic appearance, tying a record for US women's hockey.

Since the sport debuted in 1998, Team USA has brought home a total of six Olympic medals, including two golds, which were contested exactly 20 years apart. After a historic win over Canada at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang — the US won 3-2 in a nail-biting, sudden-death shoot-out — the team is vying for back-to-back gold medals. Ahead, learn more about the athletes hoping to win big in Beijing.

Lee Stecklein

Position: Defender

Hometown: Roseville, MN

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018, Sochi 2014

Stecklein is a five-time world champion and three-time national champion, with one gold medal under her belt. This is her third Olympic appearance.

Cayla Barnes

Position: Defender

Hometown: Eastvale, CA

College team: Boston College (HEA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

A senior at Boston College, Barnes has been a valuable member of the US Women's National Team (USWNT) since 2019. She's striving for her second Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

Caroline Harvey

Position: Defender

Hometown: Salem, NH

Club: NAHA U19 White

At just 19 years old, Harvey is the youngest member of the 2022 US Olympic team. In 2021, Harvey joined the USWNT and scored her first career USWNT goal against Japan in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship quarterfinals. Beijing is her first Olympics.

Megan Keller

Position: Defender

Hometown: Farmington, MI

Club: Team Women's Sports Foundation (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

Keller had a powerful run at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she played in all five games and recorded two assists. She has scored 11 goals and won four IIIHF World Championships to date while playing for the USWNT.

Megan Bozek

Position: Defender

Hometown: Buffalo Grove, IL

Club: KRS Vanke Rays (WHL)

Olympic appearances: Sochi 2014

Bozek has competed for Team USA in seven Four Nations Cups, racking up four gold medals in the process. She's looking to bring home her second Olympic medal.

Abby Roque

Position: Forward

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Roque made her USWNT debut — and scored her first two USWNT career goals — at the 2019-2020 Rivalry Series against Canada. This is her first time competing at the Olympics.

Kelly Pannek

Position: Forward

Hometown: Plymouth, MN

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

Following her USWNT debut in 2017, Pannek was named a member of the 2018 US Olympic team. She played in all five games and contributed two assists. She's vying for a second gold medal in Beijing.

Grace Zumwinkle

Position: Forward

Hometown: Excelsior, MN

College team: University of Minnesota (WCHA)

Zumwinkle is captain of the University of Minnesota women's hockey team. She's making her Olympic debut this year.

Brianna Decker

Position: Forward

Hometown: Dousman, WI

Club: Team Women's Sports Foundation (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018, Sochi 2014

Decker is a powerhouse on the ice, with an impressive résumé. She's a two-time Olympic medalist, six-time IIHF world champion, and two-time NWHL most valuable player. She was an alternate captain for the 2018 US Olympic team and is on the roster for a third Olympic Games. Unfortunately, Decker was sidelined with an injury in the first game of the tournament.

Savannah Harmon

Position: Defender

Hometown: Downers Grove, IL

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Harmon joined the USWNT in 2019 and is making her Olympic debut in Beijing.

Hayley Scamurra

Position: Forward

Hometown: Getzville, NY

Club: Team Women's Sports Foundation (PWHPA)

A two-time IIHF world champion, Scamurra is playing at the Olympics for the first time this winter.

Jesse Compher

Position: Forward

Hometown: Northbrook, IL

College team: Boston University (HEA)

Compher is a senior at Boston University and serves as the university's hockey team captain. This is her first Olympic appearance.

Jincy Dunne

Position: Defender

Hometown: O'Fallon, MO

Club: Team Women's Sports Foundation (PWHPA)

Dunne is an IIHF World Championship silver medalist and one of eight players making their Olympic debut in Beijing.

Hannah Brandt

Position: Forward

Hometown: Vadnais Heights, MN

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeonchang 2018

Brandt represented Team USA in all five games at the 2018 Winter Games, tallying one goal and one assist. She's fighting for a consecutive gold medal in Beijing.

Hilary Knight

Position: Forward

Hometown: Sun Valley, ID

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018, Sochi 2014, Vancouver 2010

The most seasoned veteran on the team, Knight is making her fourth Olympic appearance in Beijing, tying a record for US women's hockey. An eight-time IIHF world champion and seven-time Four Nations Cup champion, she has scored more than 120 goals for Team USA.

Dani Cameranesi

Position: Forward

Hometown: Plymouth, MN

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

Cameranesi tied the team lead for points at the 2018 Winter Games, with three points and two assists. This is her second time competing at the Olympic level.

Kendall Coyne Schofield

Position: Forward

Hometown: Palos Heights, IL

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018, Sochi 2014

In 2019, Coyne was team captain of both the Rivalry Series and IIHF World Championship US team, the latter of which won gold. She's making her third Olympic appearance in Beijing.

Amanda Kessel

Position: Forward

Hometown: Madison, WI

Club: Team Women's Sports Foundation (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018, Sochi 2014

Kessel is one of four American players competing at their third Winter Olympics. During the 2018 Olympic gold medal match against Canada, she scored a shoot-out goal to help the US secure first place.

Nicole Hensley

Position: Goalie

Hometown: Lakewood, CO

Club: Team Women's Sports Foundation (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

Known for her swift blocking moves, Hensley shut out all 13 shots she faced at the 2018 Pyeonchang Olympics. She's competing in her second Winter Games.

Alex Cavallini

Position: Goalie

Hometown: Delafield, WI

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

Cavallini made history as the first woman to be drafted in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and was honored as goaltender of the year by the Canadian Women's Hockey League's (CSWHL) for the 2018-2019 season.

Alex Carpenter

Position: Forward

Hometown: North Reading, MA

Club: KRS Vanke Rays (WHL)

Olympic appearances: Sochi 2014

After scoring the most goals for Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Carpenter is competing at the Games for the second time — this time in hopes of earning her first gold medal.

Maddie Rooney

Position: Goalie

Hometown: Andover, MN

Club: Team Adidas (PWHPA)

Olympic appearances: Pyeongchang 2018

Rooney is competing at the Olympics for a second time. She was the starting goalkeeper for the US Olympic team in 2018.

Abbey Murphy

Position: Forward

Hometown: Evergreen Park, IL

College team: University of Minnesota (WCHA)

A sophomore at the University of Minnesota, Murphy became a member of the USWNT in 2021. She's making her Olympic debut.