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American-Made Power
December 08, 2016 | Women's Hockey, #ForBoston Files
To try is to excel for Megan Keller
In the world of women's ice hockey, the governing body - the International Ice Hockey Federation, or IIHF - assigns quotients based on wins to determine a cumulative point total for each nation sponsoring the sport. In 2016, the United States reclaimed the No. 1 spot from the Canadians, with just 40 points separating the two nations. Behind them, it's a nearly 300-point drop to Finland, creating a world stage where the Americans and Canadians have held in the top spots for the past 10 years, with everyone else behind them.
When the world stage encompasses a two-nation rivalry as fierce as USA-Canada in women's hockey, playing for either nation is as an intense-pressure situation as it is an honor to put on that jersey. For a college athlete, it's even more magnified with a juggle that comes between playing for both her nation and her college team.
Boston College junior Megan Keller received that call. Fast becoming a veteran of the U.S. National Team program, she'll leave her Eagles teammates for the second time this year next week to don the Red, White and Blue for a training camp ahead of the U.S.' home-and-home series against the Canadians. On Dec. 17, the two nations will play in Plymouth, Mich., before the series heads north of the border on Dec. 19 for a return match in Sarnia, Ontario.
"It's such an honor to play (for the US)," Keller said of playing in the series. "It's very humbling, but I'm so proud to participate in any USA event. It's exciting, and it's extra motivating knowing that there's an opportunity to represent my country."
"She's such an unbelievable kid," Boston College head coach Katie Crowley said, "And she's a nice kid. She comes to the rink every day to learn the game of hockey and get better, and she's just a great person to be around every day. Her teammates take to her, and that's a credit to her, her upbringing and her parents.
"She can play every spot in the game," Crowley continued. "She's on our penalty kill unit because she has such a dynamic reach, and she can stay on the ice for the full two minutes if it's needed. On the power play, she can play the shooter on top and make plays because she's so smart, big, and strong. She's almost six feet tall, and with that size to be that fast and quick, you don't see it too often in the women's game. She is such a unique athlete."
Playing for the national team is nothing new for Keller. As the youngest member of the U.S. National Team, she represents the next generation slated to carry the torch from one of the most successful eras in team history.
For the past two years, she's played in the IIHF World Championships, leaving right after the Frozen Four concluded to join a group of former Eagles that included Kelli Stack, Molly Schaus, Alex Carpenter, Haley Skarupa, Dana Trivigno, and Emily Pfalzer. In both of those years, the Americans won the gold medal.
As a freshman, she played at the Four Nations Cup, a championship involving the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland (four of the top five teams in the world), missing two games during the college season. This year, she left the team on Oct. 28 for the same tournament, helping lead her country with a 8 rating as the Americans won the championship by beating the Canadians ... again.
At just 20 years old, Keller remains eligible for the U.S. Under-22 Select Team, for which she served as an assistant captain last summer. That squad plays an annual three-game series against Canada in late August. That series comes after the annual camp for the full national program, with the three teams - Under-18, Under-22, and senior national team - all training together. The U22s are a pipeline to the full national team, and many players move from one team to the next as roster spots open up.
"It's very important to get that exposure to playing (international hockey)," Keller said. "There are a lot of veterans who play at that level, and it's really great to be able to play with and against them. There's so much I can learn and take away just from practicing and training and competing with that team."
While it's great to see an Eagle blossom and grow into an international star, there's the obvious challenge Keller facing balance Team USA commitments against her Boston College commitments, both on the ice and in the classroom. Time away from school means time away from her teammates, but it also means time away from the classroom.
That's what makes her accomplishments at The Heights so impressive. As a freshman, she received the BC Athletic Director's Award for Academic Achievement, and she was named BC's Outstanding Freshman Scholar-Athlete at the annual All-Sports Banquet.
As a sophomore, she received the Outstanding Sophomore Scholar-Athlete Award. In each of her first two seasons, she's landed on the ACC Honor Roll, earning conference honors with Hockey East, as well.
During her absence this year, the Eagles went 3-1 using a team-based approach. "It's tough to leave school," Keller said, "But everything can still be accomplished if I work hard. Everyone has been so supportive, and on the ice I fully trust my teammates - and vice-versa."
"There is a challenge (to the team) because Megan is such a dynamic player," Crowley said. "Players have move around, and as a coach, you have to rely heavily on the other players to step up, log more or different minutes, and take different shifts. You definitely miss her, but the team steps up and takes on bits and pieces of what she can do. Everyone had to take on a role to alleviate that fact, and even though she was gone for four games, we went 3-1, which I was very proud of."
The international experience is something that gets passed down at Boston College like sacred text, an experience that starts at the top of the program. In 1998, Crowley helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the first-ever women's ice hockey tournament at an Olympics. She followed that up with a silver medal in 2002 and a bronze in 2006. She won six medals at the World Women's Championships, including a gold in Sweden in 2005. Associate Head Coach Courtney Kennedy was a teammate of Crowley's on the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Teams, while assistant coach Gillian Apps is a three-time gold medalist for Canada (2006, 2010, 2014).
Crowley still stands as one of the greatest players in United States program history, and with a coaching staff owning eight Olympic medals between it, the coaches imbue and pass on the knowledge to BC athletes harboring those same dreams.
"We told Megan to play her game at the international level," Crowley said. "She needs to play confident and just be confident (in her abilities). Everything at the national level plays a little faster, so you have to make good decisions as a player. Playing consistently at the NCAA level helps to play consistently in that game at the next level."
"I'm very fortunate to play for this program," Keller said. "Our coaches all know what it takes, and they've all worked on the path to World Championships and Olympic medals. They paved the road for those of us who want to do it. They know what work and effort is needed, and I'm very fortunate to be able to learn from them."
It's an experience Crowley knows all too well, and it's an experience she wants her players to experience. Having coached several Eagles to now international success, it's something she encourages her players to experience. All the while, there's the hope that USA will finally get over the Olympic hump; Crowley's 1998 gold medal remains the only one in American history, a drought will be 20 years when the next Winter Olympics rolls into Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.
"It's an amazing experience to play for your country," Crowley said, "And in a way, it still feels surreal. I feel so fortunate for having played for the United States. There's such a common goal among everyone with that team that it's hard to put into words. You dream about that opportunity, and then when you finally attain it, it's unbelievable.
"It's been unbelievable to watch Megan from where she was as a freshman and watch her grow," she continued. "She's gotten bigger and dominant, and she's such a great athlete that she'll continue growing. The Olympics are the ultimate goal, to play with that jersey on that stage. It's something that goes by so fast."
When the world stage encompasses a two-nation rivalry as fierce as USA-Canada in women's hockey, playing for either nation is as an intense-pressure situation as it is an honor to put on that jersey. For a college athlete, it's even more magnified with a juggle that comes between playing for both her nation and her college team.
Boston College junior Megan Keller received that call. Fast becoming a veteran of the U.S. National Team program, she'll leave her Eagles teammates for the second time this year next week to don the Red, White and Blue for a training camp ahead of the U.S.' home-and-home series against the Canadians. On Dec. 17, the two nations will play in Plymouth, Mich., before the series heads north of the border on Dec. 19 for a return match in Sarnia, Ontario.
"It's such an honor to play (for the US)," Keller said of playing in the series. "It's very humbling, but I'm so proud to participate in any USA event. It's exciting, and it's extra motivating knowing that there's an opportunity to represent my country."
"She's such an unbelievable kid," Boston College head coach Katie Crowley said, "And she's a nice kid. She comes to the rink every day to learn the game of hockey and get better, and she's just a great person to be around every day. Her teammates take to her, and that's a credit to her, her upbringing and her parents.
"She can play every spot in the game," Crowley continued. "She's on our penalty kill unit because she has such a dynamic reach, and she can stay on the ice for the full two minutes if it's needed. On the power play, she can play the shooter on top and make plays because she's so smart, big, and strong. She's almost six feet tall, and with that size to be that fast and quick, you don't see it too often in the women's game. She is such a unique athlete."
Playing for the national team is nothing new for Keller. As the youngest member of the U.S. National Team, she represents the next generation slated to carry the torch from one of the most successful eras in team history.
For the past two years, she's played in the IIHF World Championships, leaving right after the Frozen Four concluded to join a group of former Eagles that included Kelli Stack, Molly Schaus, Alex Carpenter, Haley Skarupa, Dana Trivigno, and Emily Pfalzer. In both of those years, the Americans won the gold medal.
As a freshman, she played at the Four Nations Cup, a championship involving the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland (four of the top five teams in the world), missing two games during the college season. This year, she left the team on Oct. 28 for the same tournament, helping lead her country with a 8 rating as the Americans won the championship by beating the Canadians ... again.
At just 20 years old, Keller remains eligible for the U.S. Under-22 Select Team, for which she served as an assistant captain last summer. That squad plays an annual three-game series against Canada in late August. That series comes after the annual camp for the full national program, with the three teams - Under-18, Under-22, and senior national team - all training together. The U22s are a pipeline to the full national team, and many players move from one team to the next as roster spots open up.
"It's very important to get that exposure to playing (international hockey)," Keller said. "There are a lot of veterans who play at that level, and it's really great to be able to play with and against them. There's so much I can learn and take away just from practicing and training and competing with that team."
While it's great to see an Eagle blossom and grow into an international star, there's the obvious challenge Keller facing balance Team USA commitments against her Boston College commitments, both on the ice and in the classroom. Time away from school means time away from her teammates, but it also means time away from the classroom.
That's what makes her accomplishments at The Heights so impressive. As a freshman, she received the BC Athletic Director's Award for Academic Achievement, and she was named BC's Outstanding Freshman Scholar-Athlete at the annual All-Sports Banquet.
As a sophomore, she received the Outstanding Sophomore Scholar-Athlete Award. In each of her first two seasons, she's landed on the ACC Honor Roll, earning conference honors with Hockey East, as well.
During her absence this year, the Eagles went 3-1 using a team-based approach. "It's tough to leave school," Keller said, "But everything can still be accomplished if I work hard. Everyone has been so supportive, and on the ice I fully trust my teammates - and vice-versa."
"There is a challenge (to the team) because Megan is such a dynamic player," Crowley said. "Players have move around, and as a coach, you have to rely heavily on the other players to step up, log more or different minutes, and take different shifts. You definitely miss her, but the team steps up and takes on bits and pieces of what she can do. Everyone had to take on a role to alleviate that fact, and even though she was gone for four games, we went 3-1, which I was very proud of."
The international experience is something that gets passed down at Boston College like sacred text, an experience that starts at the top of the program. In 1998, Crowley helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the first-ever women's ice hockey tournament at an Olympics. She followed that up with a silver medal in 2002 and a bronze in 2006. She won six medals at the World Women's Championships, including a gold in Sweden in 2005. Associate Head Coach Courtney Kennedy was a teammate of Crowley's on the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Teams, while assistant coach Gillian Apps is a three-time gold medalist for Canada (2006, 2010, 2014).
Crowley still stands as one of the greatest players in United States program history, and with a coaching staff owning eight Olympic medals between it, the coaches imbue and pass on the knowledge to BC athletes harboring those same dreams.
"We told Megan to play her game at the international level," Crowley said. "She needs to play confident and just be confident (in her abilities). Everything at the national level plays a little faster, so you have to make good decisions as a player. Playing consistently at the NCAA level helps to play consistently in that game at the next level."
"I'm very fortunate to play for this program," Keller said. "Our coaches all know what it takes, and they've all worked on the path to World Championships and Olympic medals. They paved the road for those of us who want to do it. They know what work and effort is needed, and I'm very fortunate to be able to learn from them."
It's an experience Crowley knows all too well, and it's an experience she wants her players to experience. Having coached several Eagles to now international success, it's something she encourages her players to experience. All the while, there's the hope that USA will finally get over the Olympic hump; Crowley's 1998 gold medal remains the only one in American history, a drought will be 20 years when the next Winter Olympics rolls into Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.
"It's an amazing experience to play for your country," Crowley said, "And in a way, it still feels surreal. I feel so fortunate for having played for the United States. There's such a common goal among everyone with that team that it's hard to put into words. You dream about that opportunity, and then when you finally attain it, it's unbelievable.
"It's been unbelievable to watch Megan from where she was as a freshman and watch her grow," she continued. "She's gotten bigger and dominant, and she's such a great athlete that she'll continue growing. The Olympics are the ultimate goal, to play with that jersey on that stage. It's something that goes by so fast."
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