GANGNEUNG, South Korea — To three-time Olympian Hilary Knight, the thought of finally hoisting the gold medal means giving women's hockey a big boost in the United States.
How big?
Huge.
“The U.S. wants to be No. 1 in everything, and I think we've all been raised as awesome competitors so at the end of the day we want a victory,” Knight said. “We want to win, and that would be winning a gold medal.”
Knight, 28, is Connecticut’s connection to the U.S. women’s team. A native of Palo Alto, Calif., Knight and her family eventually moved to New Hampshire and she wound up going to Choate in Wallingford for four years. She has a goal and an assist so far in these Olympics.
Harry How / Getty Images Hilary Knight looks on against Finland during the U.S. women's hockey team's 5-0 win in the semifinals. Hilary Knight looks on against Finland during the U.S. women's hockey team's 5-0 win in the semifinals. (Harry How / Getty Images)
Gold is the only shade of medal that has eluded the Americans since 1998, the last time they won it all in Nagano when women's hockey made its Olympic debut. They took home a disappointing bronze from Turin in 2006 and silver from the past two finals — no loss more crushing than in 2014 in Sochi when Canada rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 in overtime.
Now the Americans have their latest chance at Olympic gold against their archrival in a showdown tonight (11:10 p.m. on NBC Sports Network) that will include Marie-Philip Poulin, whose two goals snatched gold from U.S. hands in Sochi. She is back again as Canada's captain.
“For me, it's been a fairy tale for the last Olympics,” Poulin said. “But it's in the past now. It's a new Olympics, and we have to bring our best game and go from there.”
This game once again features the only two nations ever to win Olympic gold.
Nothing less than a fifth straight gold medal is expected in the country that created the sport, and the Canadians have won the past four Olympic gold-medal games. Only the United States in basketball has dominated a women's team sport more thoroughly with its streak of six straight golds.
The Canadians haven't lost even a single Olympic game since the 1998 Nagano final won by the United States. Their streak stands at 24 consecutive games, including a 2-1 win over the United States to cap pool play a week ago. They've also won five straight over the Americans, including four exhibition victories in December prepping for the Olympics.
“Maybe I'm biased, but one of the best rivalries in sports and especially in our game,” said Canadian forward Emily Clark, who played college hockey at Wisconsin. “So we obviously have a lot on the line, mostly pride. All of us are going to bring our best game.”
The U.S. wants to be No. 1 in everything ... We want to win, and that would be winning a gold medal. — U.S. women's hockey player Hilary Knight
Yet the Americans have owned the world championships, winning the last four and eight of the last 10. That has only made the U.S. drought at the Olympics all the more noticeable and makes this game even more special.
“It's been something I've been dreaming about since I was little,” said U.S. forward Dani Cameranesi. “So it means a lot, and to be here with this group of girls and to be with them all year has really been an honor.”
The 10 Americans who lost the final in Sochi have left that game in the past. No need to waste energy dwelling on such a heartbreaker when the chance at history is at hand. Cameranesi is among 13 Americans on the roster at their first Olympics, so Sochi is just a game they may have watched on TV.
“We're in South Korea, and it's 2018 and you want a different result,” U.S. coach Robb Stauber said . “They've put a lot of energy and focus into transforming things that they needed to get better at, and that's now. You drop the puck, see what happens.”
When the Americans and Canadians play, it's essentially a heavyweight bout even if nobody drops the gloves.
“Every single time we play them, it's a big game,” Canada coach Laura Schuler said. “You know the crowds there, people. There's always pressure every single time when you represent your country and you play best on best competition. I think it's something that we're used to.”
In order to take home the gold at this year’s Winter Olympics, U.S. women’s hockey player Hilary Knight is all about healthy eating.
But the 5’11” forward tells PEOPLE she doesn’t believe in dieting.
“It’s not sustainable,” she says. “I believe in lifestyle changes to accommodate a healthy living.”
Given Knight’s intense training schedule, which is currently six days a week, Knight says she eats more calories in order to help her body recover.
The 28-year-old also drinks tons of water — more than 130 ounces when she is working out or on the ice.
Read on for a day of Knight’s meals, and for more, pickup a copy of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.
Hydration
130 oz. of water
Breakfast
Oatmeal with maple syrup and walnuts; 12 oz. energy drink; banana
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Snack
Protein bar; apple slices
Lunch
White bean chicken chili; mixed greens salad with vegetables and light dressing
Snack
Raspberry Greek yogurt with granola; 8 oz. of coconut water
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Dinner
Pasta with mixed vegetables; 1 glass of cherry juice
Snack
Popcorn
Total Calories: 2,240
The Verdict: The plant and animal proteins in Knight’s chili at lunch and the variety of vegetables throughout the day give her “a nice mix of smart carbs, protein and produce to fuel her highly active lifestyle,” says Chicago-based dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. Also her after-dinner snack of popcorn “is a good choice when she’s feeling munchy at night because it is naturally a whole grain.” Plus, for anti-inflammatory benefits Knight could “sprinkle turmeric and black pepper on the popcorn,” says Blatner.
NOTE: It is recommended that women eat at least 1,200 calories per day, and men eat at least 1,800 calories per day.
Following three-time Olympian Hilary Knight on social media means pictures. Specifically, selfies.
Lots and lots of selfies.
The forward easily qualifies as the selfie queen of the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team. But it’s not because the 5-foot-11 Knight doesn’t try to share the photo duties documenting these Olympic moments with her teammates.
“I always ask someone else to do it, and they’re like, ‘No, no you just do it,'” Knight said with a laugh. “Just because of my arms. I have the angle or something figured out.
Knight stayed busy the night of the opening ceremonies at the Pyeongchang Games.
She’s also been documenting life in the athletes’ village.
Knight says she startles herself when she opens up her SnapChat app and finds it on selfie mode.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on there?” she said. “But I feel badly for posting all the selfies. At the same time, we’re trying to capture all these memories we have together because they’re something special.”
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There is a reason that Hilary Knight is considered the star of the USA Women’s Olympic Team. She has one of the most impressive resumes in hockey and is looking for her first Olympic gold medal this week in PyeongChang.
There is a lot to know about Knight but here are five quick facts.
1. Family Background
Unlike Olympic teammate Amanda Kessel, Knight did not come from a hockey family. Knight’s family were skiers but have been very supportive of her hockey dreams, as she told NBC:
“Both of my parents have loved and supported me from my very first strides. My mother was a strong influence and role model in my life. She taught me that it doesn’t matter who I am, but what matters is my passions. If I want something, I need to work hard for it and go get it.”
Knight’s work ethic has helped her achieve some of her biggest goals but the best is yet to come.
2. Golden Girl
Knight has seven World Championship gold medals as well as two silver World Championship medals and two Olympic silver medals. Her last three World Championships appearances with Team USA have resulted in gold medals.
The only thing missing from her impressive list of accomplishments is an Olympic gold medal. Team USA will face Team Canada in the gold medal game on Wednesday night.
She described the rivalry to NBC as a “blood bath-type rivalry. Both teams come to play, and I think it shows a level of respect when you can get over-the-top competition out of two teams every time we face off.”
3. College Years
Knight played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin where she won two national championships. During her four years with the Badgers, she tallied a total of 143 goals and 119 assists in 161 games. Her scoring abilities caught the attention of scouts and she began a professional career after college.
4. Professional Career
After graduating college with a degree in history, Knight was drafted fourth overall in the CWHL draft by the Boston Blades. She played for there for three seasons and tallied 29 goals and 33 assists in 41 games. She was third in scoring in the league her first year and won the 2013 Clarkson Cup along with the 2013 CWHL Most Outstanding Player Award.
She moved on to play for the Boston Pride of the NWHL in the league’s inaugural year. In two seasons, she has tallied 23 goals and 25 assists in 27 games. She was the first scoring champion of the league and also led Boston to the inaugural Isobel Cup Championship.
5. Gender Equality Advocate
Knight is an advocate for gender equality in hockey and hopes to use her influence to spread awareness at all levels of the sport. As she said in an interview with Red Bull on her experience growing up as a girl playing hockey:
“There are years that I’ve just blocked out of my memory. I was playing an all-boys sport — there weren’t as many opportunities as there are now for young girls and women. I’d get harassed by the parents on opposing teams. Even some parents on my own team weren’t happy that a girl was taking a spot from their boy. They didn’t think I was good enough. When I think back to that, I realize all the things that we accomplish as young children. We didn’t even know what we were going through, but we were pioneers of the sport. But when I was living it, I just wanted to be the best teammate and the best player I could be — and I wanted to have fun. We all strive to be better when the odds are stacked against us.”
She also supported the 2017 boycott of the World Championships if the women’s team didn’t receive equal treatment. She told NBC Nightly News: “We were asking for greater resources for marketing and PR to really help us tell the storyline of the women on our team. We also needed better programming; you only see us every four years essentially in certain tournaments, so we need more games and financial support.”
In the end, the women’s team played and won the gold medal.
Hilary Knight and Team USA will face Team Canada in the Gold Medal Game on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 11:10 PM EST.
