BEIJING — With a 7 1/2-month old baby at home, Maura Crowell often finds herself awake at odd hours. That wasn't such a bad thing over the past two weeks, since she planned to be up anyway to watch the women's hockey tournament at the Beijing Olympics.
The Minnesota Duluth coach has been cheering for 12 current and former Bulldogs playing for eight different countries. She was thrilled to see UMD senior Emma Soderberg step in as Sweden's top goaltender, and to witness junior forward Kassy Betinol skate on home ice for China. Wednesday night, Crowell will stay up late for the gold medal game, as three past and present Bulldogs square off in another showdown between the U.S. and Canada.
Crowell is as excited as everyone else to see whether the U.S. can defend its Olympic title, or whether Canada will win its fifth Winter Games crown. But she's been just as invested in watching the growth of other teams, fueled by the increasing number of women developing their game in U.S. college hockey.
