Hockey fans around the country tuned in Wednesday night to see the U.S. women’s team compete against Canada.
The game was extra special for some little girls inspired by the female athletes on TV.
“I hope in my lifetime I can get up there and be just like them,” said 11-year old Hayden Lindgren, who plays in a youth league for the Boulder Hockey Club.
Lindgren and other members of her team practiced at Sport Stable in Superior Wednesday night. She just recently joined the team, but started skating years ago after watching her brother play hockey.
“Some boys think girls aren’t tough enough to get out there and play in the game,” Lindgren said. “I don’t think that’s true. I think girls can do just as good as boys can.”
The Executive Director of the Boulder Hockey Club, Michele Amidon, says the sport has changed since she was a kid and played on teams with mostly boys. About 125 girls are in the club now, and she said there several all-girl teams competing around the state.
“The sport is just exploding, it’s grown so much,” Amidon said.
Amidon served as the General Manager of the women's U.S. hockey team during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, and says she knows several of the women competing in the 2018 games.
“These women have worked very, very hard to try and achieve their goal. This is their Super Bowl, this is their World Series, their World Championship."
She said the Olympians are inspiring the next generation.
“These women on our Olympic team and that play collegiate hockey are such amazing role models for these young girls. It shows how far the sport has come."
