Meghan Duggan Named Captain of U.S. Women’s National Team
USA Hockey has announced Meghan Duggan will captain the U.S. Women’s National Team as they get ready for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, from March 28-April 4 in Malmo, Sweden.
Duggan is a native of Danvers, Massachusetts. Alexandra Carpenter of North Reading, Mass., and Brianna Decker of Dousman, Wis., will serve as alternate captains. Duggan and Decker are teammates on The Boston Blades (CWHL).
“Meghan has been a valuable leader in the past and will continue to set a great example for our team moving forward,” said Ken Klee, head coach of the 2015 US Women’s National Team. “All three of our captains provide the necessary characteristics and perspective that are essential to having a successful team.”
Duggan is a two-time silver medalist from the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. She was captain of the 2014 Sochi Olympic team, where she has one goal and five assists from 7 games in the CWHL with the Blades this season. She is also an assistant coach at Clarkson University.
“I think from when I was a little kid, hockey was always my dream. It was always my top priority; my number one sport and I loved it,” Duggan, who also served as captain on the 2014 Sochi Olympic team, told USA Hockey Magazine. “I did a lot of those other sports because I loved athletics. I loved being competitive.”
Cosmopolitan featured Duggan as “The Toughest Woman at the Olympics,” as she worked to battle back from a major concussion that left her sidelined in 2012. Her ceremonial first pitch at a Red Sox game in April 2014 went viral after she mocked Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda.
Duggan played college hockey at Wisconsin from 2006-2009, tallying 238 career points in 159 games. She helped the Badgers capture two NCAA championships in 2007 and 2009. She has represented the United States in five IIHF competitions, seven Four Nations Cups, and one IIHF Twelve Nations tournament.
“It’s like a dream come true,” Duggan told USA Hockey Magazine. “When I was in high school I never imagined that four years from then I’d be here playing for the National Team and winning national championships in college.
“I’ve been blessed to be a part of great teams and it’s a great feeling, and I look forward to being apart of more of it in the future.”
Duggan is an alumna of Cushing Academy. She is currently in her third season with the Boston Blades.
Alternative Captain–and Duggan’s Blades teammate–Decker currently leads the Blades in points, with 16 goals and 16 assists in 12 games.
Alternative Captain Carpenter is currently a junior at Boston College. She has 32 goals and 41 assists in 32 games this season.
