ROCHESTER, N.Y. — There’s everything else in the world of sport … and then there’s the Olympics. 

 

With apologies to the annual slate of International Ice Hockey Federation events, NCAA regular-season and postseason play, and the trailblazing action of the PWHL, there’s something about competing under those five rings that inspires another level of pride and passion.

 

And for the eight former BK Selects players who made various Olympic rosters for the 25th edition of the Winter Games, to be held this February in northern Italy, it can be difficult to put the accomplishment into the context of their other athletic triumphs.

 

What do you do when a dream comes true?

 

“When I first got the news, it was mostly shock, but also excitement for what was to come,” said Team USA’s Ava McNaughton, a junior at the University of Wisconsin and the reigning NCAA goaltender of the year.

 

“Obviously this has been a long-term goal of mine and to finally have it come to fruition was pretty surreal. It’s just such an honor to be able to represent our country and to play alongside such incredible players.”

 

The 21-year-old McNaughton (BK Selects from 2019-23) joins defender Haley Winn (2017-21), defender Caroline Harvey (2016-20), defender Laila Edwards (2018-22) and forward Kirsten Simms (2018-20) as BK alums on the United States team. Forwards Nina Christof (2018-22) and Jule Schiefer (2019-20) will make their Olympic debuts for Team Germany, while goalie Michaela Hesová (2021-24) will do likewise for her native Czechia. 

 

“My reaction (to making the team) was, as you can imagine, ecstatic,” said Hesová, currently a sophomore standout at Dartmouth College. “I was walking from our team workout to the rink when I got the call and had to really compose myself because I didn’t want to freak out in front of my whole team. 

 

“I told one of my teammates: ‘Guess who is going to Italy?’, and by the time I got to the rink basically all of my teammates knew. I had to hold back tears as I was so overwhelmed with joy I barely knew how to process such news. But safe to say it was one of the best calls I have received in my entire life.”

 

Hesová said she didn’t allow herself to truly grasp the possibility of playing for her country in Milan this winter, despite the fact she attended multiple national training camps and played in two games at last year’s IIHF Women’s World Championships.

 

McNaughton was a little more matter-of-fact about the Olympic possibility, after she also saw her first senior international action at the Worlds last spring. 

 

“I think from that point on my sights were set on making the Olympic roster,” she said. “I’m most excited to be able to put on the jersey for the first time on such a big stage and to just take in the moment.”

 

Even the more seasoned players confessed to feeling the nerves when the roster was announced in early January. 

 

Winn, a Rochester native who has played extensively in the past three World Championships and was the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s PWHL Draft, called the hours leading up to her phone call from USA Hockey brass “nerve-wracking.” 

 

“It’s in the back of your head all day,” she said. “Once the call came, it was a sigh of relief. I had a lot of support behind me, which is awesome.

 

“It’s super-cool. Obviously we all had this dream when we were at BK, but it coming to life is crazy. We were best friends back then and got to put in the work together to get to this point. It’s so cool and special to be able to share with these girls who you started the dream with.”

 

For Winn, who is now a rookie pro with the Boston Fleet, the goal of playing in major international tournaments became tangible at BK Selects. There, she saw her peers making national teams and securing NCAA commitments, so opportunities like this were within her grasp.

 

“You see these people around you making these teams and you think, ‘I can do this,’ “ Winn said. “You have this dream but it feels almost out of reach. Like, is it actually possible? To have your peers pushing you, it made it easy to put in the work when these girls are around you. It’s closer than you think.”

 

And of course, now this group of Olympians can pave the way for others like them. The most notable example of that is Edwards, who will soon become the first Black woman to skate for the U.S. at the Olympics — a fact that was trumpeted on NBC's Today Show during the roster unveiling over the holidays. 

 

As Edwards told the Associated Press about her experience as a pioneer: “You definitely have to be strong. And I think it’s huge in terms of representation and being a role model.”

 

Now that these players have risen to this level, the inspiration that got them here can be paid forward to anyone who feels they can relate. 

 

For her part, McNaughton — who is the first Pennsylvanian to make the women’s Olympic team — hopes the growth of Pittsburgh-area girls hockey accelerates from here.

 

“I am so proud to represent the city of Pittsburgh,” said McNaughton, who hails from the city’s northern suburbs and skated with four different youth programs before arriving at BK. 

 

“It’s really shaped me into who I am today and I love every part of the city. Hockey wasn’t the biggest thing in Pittsburgh when I was a kid, but to see the growth it has made over the past decade or so makes me so hopeful for the future of girls hockey in Western Pennsylvania.”

 

But let’s not forget the opportunity for these young women to be further inspired; namely, by fellow Olympians from other athletic disciplines. The spread-out nature of these Winter Games will make it difficult to see some events, but others will be accessible.

 

Hesová, whose mother was an avid skier, is looking forward to watching the alpine events if she’s able. She also hopes to follow the exploits of her fellow Czech Olympian Ester Ledecká, a two-time gold medalist in snowboarding.

 

“I’m most looking forward to just the space itself and the people,” Hesová said. “Obviously hockey is the reason why me and my entire team are there and what we’re there for, but I am super excited for the opportunity to be walking among athletes who are considered the best of all-time.”

 

McNaughton anticipates being able to catch some figure skating and short-track speed skating, since those events will be in the same cluster as hockey in Milan. 

 

“It’ll be fun to be surrounded by so many elite athletes,” she said, “all striving for the same goal!”

 

The Olympic women’s hockey tournament will run from Feb. 5-19. Winn said the U.S. team is planning to fly out to Italy at the end of January, at which point the significance of her Olympic debut will likely set in.

 

“It all doesn’t feel quite real yet,” Winn said, “but as soon as we get together as a group, it’ll come to life.”