TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tonight will be a special night for hockey fans, the Team USA Women’s Hockey team will be honored at Amalie Arena.
According to the NHL, the team will be welcomed by the Tampa Bay Lightning during a pregame ceremony. They will also sign autographs for fans during the first intermission of the game against the Buffalo Sabres.
The women clinched the gold medal for USA against their rival Canada in a nail-biting shootout in Pyeongchang. The win came 20 years after Team USA won gold when women’s hockey debuted in 1998 at Nagano,
The team was welcomed by fans at Tampa International Airport Tuesday evening. While they have had some time to let the achievement soak in, many still can’t believe they are now gold medalists!
RELATED: US women end drought, beat Canada for gold in a shootout
“It’s crazy. It’s been a whirlwind. It’s really fun and for us it’s exciting to see kind of all of America really bought into our team and what happened we’re just hoping to inspire the future,” says Team USA member Amada Kessel.
Kessel and her teammates practiced in Wesley Chapel for six months before heading to the Olympics.
The game at Amalie tonight starts at 7.
Be sure to watch First at Four today on WFLA News Channel 8. Team USA Women’s Hockey players Maddie Rooney, Dani Cameranesi and Amanda Pelkey will join us on set to talk about their big win.
Photos: USA Women’s Hockey Team Wins Gold at South Korea 2018
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