Hello again from the world of women's hockey! As I compose this blog, I am sitting on a coach bus with my 20 teammates, making our way from the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., to the JFK International Airport. Tonight we are going to be boarding a plane and winging our way across the Atlantic to Helsinki, Finland, to compete in the IIHF World Women's Championship, held in Hameenlinna. We have been in Lake Placid for six days, including three days of tryouts, and three of training in preparation for the tournament. We are the defending World Champions, fired up to defend our title and set the tone for the Olympic training year, which is just around the corner!

It's hard to believe that the Vancouver Olympic Games are less than a year away! Each day we have until then is important for our preparation, and over the last week we have certainly been making the most of every moment. Thirty-two players were invited to try out for the Worlds team, so unfortunately, 11 of our comrades are not able to make the trip. But the passion and desire demonstrated on the ice only made the camp more productive, pushing each individual to the heights of her abilities. It was truly amazing hockey.

Of course it was not all work and no play, again, not what hockey players are about. We had our fair share of laughs, most notably when I had my head down and ran into one of the referees during a game, losing the puck, and giving the opposing team a great scoring chance... that was classic. And of course there were the standard toaster violations in the cafeteria at the OTC. You see, the rules are clearly posted: "Do not put anything in the toaster other than bread!" Regardless, the women's hockey players either can't read, or don't think the rules apply to them, so over the course of six days and countless home-made grilled cheeses, we usually start on average around two mild kitchen fires, or at least smoke the place out. I am sure the staff at the OTC was sorry to see us go this morning...

So tonight we fly to Helsinki, then drive a couple of hours to Vierumaki, where we will stay for three days, and play a pre-tournament game against Sweden before we drive to Hameenlinna to play our first round game against Japan. I can't wait for the great hockey, as well as all of the hilarious stories we will have from our "overtired and giddy" travels. Wish us luck as we chase down the Gold!

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