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Studying Abroad: National University Teams Heading to Spain

12/15/2014, 9:15am MST
By Q & A with Kristen Wright

Every hockey player dreams of taking his or her game to the next level, whether it’s making that varsity high school squad, playing NCAA Division I hockey, hoisting a Stanley Cup or suiting up for Team USA on the international stage.

For most, those dreams won’t be fully realized. But the American Collegiate Hockey Association and World University Games still keep the dream alive on their own stage.

Kristen Wright, head coach of the University of Colorado women’s club hockey team, will lead the 2015 United States Women’s National University Team in this year’s games in Granada, Spain. She sat down with us to talk about the event and how it helps every player reach the pinnacle of their careers in red, white and blue.

USA Hockey: You’ve been on the World University Games bench before in 2013, winning bronze, but never at the helm. What does this honor mean to you this time around?

Kristen Wright: I am extremely excited about being named the head coach of this team. I am honored to represent the U.S. in this role, and am thankful for the opportunities that USA Hockey has provided me as a player, coach and referee. I am excited to utilize my experience as a head coach with the University of Colorado in this position and am confident that we can build on the team’s success in Italy. I am also eager to work with our phenomenal assistant coaches, Scott Hicks and Shelley Looney.

USA Hockey: It’s not only going to be an amazing experience for you, but for your players, too. Talk about the impact these games can have on them.

Kristen Wright: This is a tremendous opportunity for each of the players to represent Team USA, the ACHA, their schools and themselves while traveling abroad to play hockey. They will play with talented players and will face strong international competition, something that will be a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them.

USA Hockey: Wearing the USA Hockey sweater is a dream for every hockey player at every level. Do you think many of these players even knew or thought it was possible for them?

Kristen Wright: As a kid, I think every hockey player dreams of playing for their country. Over time, this dream is only realized by a small group of players and kids go on to set other goals for themselves, such as playing college hockey. Many of these players would not have been able to wear the USA sweater to represent their country if they were not playing in the ACHA.

USA Hockey: What types of teams from other countries compete at the World University Games? How are those teams formed?

Kristen Wright: There are teams from all over the world competing this year including China, Japan, Russia, Canada, Kazakhstan and the host team, Spain. All of the teams are comprised of university athletes in good academic standing from their respective countries. For example, the Canadian team is selected from players in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport), Canada’s premier collegiate hockey league, by Canada’s coaching staff.

USA Hockey: Is there dominance from the U.S. and Canadian teams when it comes to this type of international play like there is on the Olympic level?

Kristen Wright: I would have to disagree that there is a solid dominance from the U.S. and Canada at this level. There is more variety in the international competition with countries such as Russia, Japan, Finland and China making appearances in the semifinals and finals the past two games. In Italy in 2013, Russia made their presence known by beating the U.S. to make it to the finals against Canada. We are excited for the high level of international competition in Spain.

USA Hockey: It seems more and more players are becoming aware of the ACHA. How have you seen it change and grow recently?

Kristen Wright: Since becoming an ACHA coach at the University of Colorado in 2008, I have seen the ACHA develop and grow as an association. We have added several teams across the country, added a new league comprised of western teams, and have seen the talent level of players increase significantly. Many players are seeing the benefits of playing hockey at schools that they traditionally could not play hockey at, either because it wasn’t offered, or because of the level of play. The ACHA has provided ample opportunities for men and women’s players to continue to play hockey competitively during college. I believe the popularity of the ACHA will continue to grow as student-athletes recognize the benefits that it has to offer.

USA Hockey: The chance to compete in the World University Games helps set the ACHA apart, too, right?

Kristen Wright: The opportunity to compete internationally for the U.S. National University Team is an additional opportunity that the ACHA is using to attract talented student-athletes to its schools. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these athletes, and being given an opportunity to play for Team USA has been an attractive point for the ACHA since the United States began competing in the World University Games (in 2011 for the women).

USA Hockey: How do you select your final roster for the games? What’s taken into consideration?

Kristen Wright: The coaching staff spent a considerable amount of time watching games, talking to coaches and evaluating players in the ACHA. We are looking to build a team that will be competitive on the international stage and (a team) that is well rounded for this type of competition. We are also looking for players with good character and who will support the team environment that we will need while we are abroad. We believe that we have found the right balance of players to be successful in Spain.

USA Hockey: Are the odds in our favor this year?

Kristen Wright: After coming off a hard-fought overtime loss to Russia in the semifinal game, and then winning the bronze-medal game against Japan (in 2013), our team will be hungry to improve upon our successes in Italy and we believe we have put together a team that will be competitive.

USA Hockey: Plus you get to enjoy Spain …

Kristen Wright: Absolutely. I was lucky enough to study abroad in Spain while in college and I’m excited to return during this trip. While the team will get to take in the culture of the country, learn about its customs, food, etc., we’re there for the tournament and our focus will be on hockey and representing the United States well while we are in Spain.

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