New England

Road to the Olympics: Hockey Standout Has Deep New England Roots

A standout hockey player’s skills on the ice have taken her from her home state of Vermont to Boston and now to Team USA.

Amanda Pelkey grew up in Montpelier, playing youth hockey in Barre. She later played for the University of Vermont in Burlington, where her former teammates are now excited to watch her take her game to a higher level playing at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.

“She definitely was a role model,” UVM senior Taylor Willard said of her former teammate. “I’m really proud of her.”

NBC 10 Boston talked to Pelkey via smart phone. She’s currently training in Florida, and leaves next week for South Korea.

“It’s been a dream since I was three or four years old,” Pelkey said of going to the Olympics. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this is going to be one of the best moments of my life.”

Pelkey broke program records at UVM with 105 points: 49 goals and 56 assists. She is the first Catamount ever named to a women’s Olympic hockey team, the university said.

Pelkey has spent the past several years training in Boston and playing with the Boston Pride, a team in the National Women’s Hockey League.

“The support that we got in Boston was great,” the athlete said.

Pelkey’s college coach, Jim Plumer, predicted that fans will be treated to great women’s hockey from the upcoming Winter Games, especially between the U.S. and rival Canada.

“I would expect it’s going to be a tooth and nail battle,” Plumer said.

And Pelkey noted that she is glad New England is well-represented on her Olympic team. It’s led by captain Meghan Duggan of Danvers, Massachusetts.

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