University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Olympians Ready to Compete for Medals
2/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Three players with ties to the Minnesota women’s hockey program will compete on the sport’s grandest stage in the coming weeks during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Former Minnesota standouts Natalie Darwitz and Gigi Marvin will suit up for the United States while freshman goaltender Noora Räty will be in net for Finland.
Team USA and Finland are part of two of the most anticipated storylines heading into Vancouver. Darwitz, Marvin and the U.S. team are expected to challenge Canada for the gold medal while Räty and the Finns will look to avenge a fourth-place finish in Turin in 2006 when they were denied a medal by rival Sweden.
Maroon and Gold on the Red, White and Blue
For Darwitz, the third time will hopefully be the charm as the recently named captain of the U.S. team will try to earn an elusive gold medal. In her Olympic debut in 2002, Darwitz’s seven goals were tied for a tournament high, but Team USA could only muster a silver medal in Salt Lake City. Four years later in Turin, the U.S. team settled for a bronze medal.
Now with over ten years of international experience under her belt including three World Championships (2005,2008,2009), Darwitz has grown from being the youngest player ever selected to the U.S. national team at 15 to one of the program’s most experienced skaters.
“I like this team a lot; we have veteran leadership and the rest are newcomers, which gives you a fresh mentality,” Darwitz said. “When we're playing well, we're scary.”
One of those newcomers is former Gophers forward Gigi Marvin, who will make her Olympic debut this year in Vancouver. Just one year removed from captaining the Gophers, Marvin said one of the first things she noticed since earning a spot on the U.S. roster was the dramatic atmosphere that surrounds the Olympics.
“It’s like playoff hockey; the pressure is on…this is crunch time. You have to step up and play your best,” Marvin said.
Recently, Marvin has gotten the chance to do something she never got to do with the Gophers – play alongside Darwitz. The Warroad native arrived on campus one year after Darwitz ended her Minnesota playing career although the two worked together when Darwitz returned to Ridder Arena as an assistant coach last year.
Team USA coach Mark Johnson paired the two former Gophers up periodically during the team’s preparations for Vancouver including an 8-5 exhibition win over Minnesota in January.
“We’ve mixed and matched (all year) to find some chemistry. Obviously, playing (on the same line) with Natalie is going to get you opportunities – she’s a smart player,” Johnson said. “We are just looking for some offense and obviously some chemistry.”
Marvin, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to mind skating with her former coach, who she describes as the Sidney Crosby of women’s hockey.
Said Marvin, “She’s the best player I’ve ever played with.”
Back Between the Pipes
Räty will round out the Gophers contingency this year in Vancouver when she straps on her leg pads for the Finnish national team in her second Olympic appearance. It’s been four years since Räty made her debut as a 16-year old in Turin when Finland suffered losses to Canada, the United States and Sweden and failed to earn a medal.
But very few Olympians have improved as much in four years as Räty. In international play, Räty has backstopped Finland to a pair of World Championship bronze finishes including a performance in 2008 that earned her most-value-player honors. Collegiately, she’s one of the best goalies in the United States. As a 20-year-old freshman this season at Minnesota, Räty leads the nation in goals-against average (0.80), save percentage (.967), winning percentage (.800) and is tied for the nation’s lead with seven shutouts.
However, all of that doesn’t compare with the opportunity to help Finland earn its first-ever medal in women’s hockey. “"It (would be) huge…This time, we're going to win that medal,” Räty said.
Finland and Team USA will face each other on Feb. 18 while the medal events are scheduled for Feb. 15. The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games kick off on Feb. 12 with the opening ceremony.
Story written by Minnesota Athletic Communications Student Assistant Brian Deutsch
