Last month, millions of viewers around the globe watched in awe as the U.S. women’s hockey team won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics with what many considered the best roster and performance the team had ever seen. Winning all seven of their matches in the tournament, they shut out the competition in a record-breaking five games, outscoring their opponents by 33-2. Three members of the historic team, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Tessa Janecke, are from right here in Illinois, representing their home state on the world stage as they won gold.  

Born and raised in Evergreen Park, Murphy has become one of the most exciting young talents in American women’s hockey. A forward who shoots right, Murphy began skating at a young age and achieved high distinction in the sport while still in her teens, making it to the IIHF U18 Women's World Championship three times in high school and joining the University of Minnesota’s NCAA team her first year of college, where she plays today.

Murphy made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she helped Team USA capture a silver medal as part of the women’s hockey squad — a remarkable achievement at the age of 19. Known for her toughness, grit and aggressive playing style, she has also excelled at World Championships, earning both gold and silver medals with the national team. In this year’s Olympic Games, Murphy tallied two goals and five assists.  

A native of Palos Heights, Coyne Schofield is an experienced veteran at the Olympics, with the 2026 tournament being her fourth appearance on the world’s biggest sporting stage. A forward for Team USA, Coyne Schofield also serves as team captain of the Minnesota Frost in the PWHL, and has played a major role in building the audience for professional women’s hockey in North America.

Coyne Schofield made her Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where she also helped guide Team USA to gold. She now holds two gold and two silver Olympic medals, with the two gold medals wins serving as the bookends to her Olympic career. In the 2026 tournament, Coyne Scofield scored three goals for the team. She was also the only mother on the team, having given birth to her son at the end of 2023.

Janecke, of Orangeville, made her Olympic debut in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Also a forward, she attended Orangeville High School remotely while attending the North American Hockey Academy in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she was the captain of the Winter Hawks her senior season. She lettered in both ice hockey and softball for four years, balancing athletic excellence in two sports with her academics. She began playing ice hockey for Penn State in 2022, where she holds the record for the team’s all-time leading scorer. Janecke proved herself a vital component of Team USA’s victory in 2026, logging five assists across seven games – an impressive feat for a first-time Olympian.