Angela Ruggiero is competing in the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver in hockey.
Competing in her fourth Olympics in Vancouver, defenseman Angela Ruggiero already has a medal of each color: gold in 1998, silver in 2002 and bronze in 2006. Ruggiero, who will be 30 in Vancouver, plans to retire from the national team after the Olympics, and hopes to lead her team to another gold in her final appearance. Of all the teams she has been on, Ruggerio says the current U.S. team is the closest she's ever felt to the victorious 1998 Olympic team. "This team just has this unbelievable chemistry," Ruggiero said. "Everyone is willing to do anything or sacrifice anything for the good of the team."
A member of the national team since 1997, Ruggiero is the all-time leader in games played for Team USA at more than 200. In that time she has won three World Championship gold medals (2005, 2008, 2009) and six silvers (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007). She and Jenny Potter are the only current team members who played on the gold-medal team in 1998. Ruggiero relishes the role of veteran and leader. "It's exciting to be a part of this and to be one of the old ladies, with all the younger kids," Ruggiero said. "It's kind of cool to see them growing, and for them to have a great experience like this."
During her career at Harvard, Ruggiero was a four-time All-American and a four-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the most prestigious award in women's college hockey. She won the award her senior year, and finished her career with 234 points (91 goals, 152 assists) in 127 games. The team won its first NCAA title in 1999. Ruggiero took a two-year leave of absence to concentrate on the Olympics, missing the 2000-01 and 2001-02 school years. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in government.
Ruggiero was the youngest member of the U.S. team that won the inaugural women's tournament in 1998, at the age of 18. Ruggiero, still in high school, competed in all six games for the U.S., logging no points and 18 penalty minutes. Her physical play was a huge asset in the gold-medal game against Canada. After winning in Nagano, she returned to school and graduated four months later. She was able to graduate on time by doing a "term abroad" during her six months with the national team. She completed courses outside the classroom to earn credits at Choate Rosemary Hall, the private boarding school she attended in Connecticut, while she was traveling.
During the Torino Games, Ruggiero was one of 12 athletes who vied for a spot on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice." The fans, who voted online, selected Ruggiero as the Olympic representative. She appeared as one of the contestants on the show's sixth season in 2007, and was the 11th person (out of 20) eliminated. After the show, Ruggiero said her history as a team player caused her to lose, because she was unable to turn against her teammates. And even though she didn't win, Trump offered Ruggiero a job, which she declined so she could train full-time for her final Olympics.
In addition to her degree from Harvard, Ruggiero is now working toward her master's degree in sports management, and plans to finish in spring 2010. She would like to pursue a career in sports broadcasting or business when she retires from the national team, though she says she will never quit playing hockey.
Growing up in California, where hockey wasn't very popular, Ruggiero and her two brothers began playing at the insistence of her father, Bill, who is from Connecticut. She played with her older brother, Billy, who was a goaltender, when they were kids. Angela made history on January 8, 2005, as the first female non-goaltender to play in a professional hockey game in North America, and Billy also was on the ice. They both played for the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League, Angela notching an assist in her 13 minutes on the ice. After the game, the Hockey Hall of Fame requested their jerseys because they became first brother and sister to play in a North American professional game.
Competing in her fourth Olympics in Vancouver, defenseman Angela Ruggiero already has a medal of each color: gold in 1998, silver in 2002 and bronze in 2006. Ruggiero, who will be 30 in Vancouver, plans to retire from the national team after the Olympics, and hopes to lead her team to another gold in her final appearance. Of all the teams she has been on, Ruggerio says the current U.S. team is the closest she's ever felt to the victorious 1998 Olympic team. "This team just has this unbelievable chemistry," Ruggiero said. "Everyone is willing to do anything or sacrifice anything for the good of the team."
A member of the national team since 1997, Ruggiero is the all-time leader in games played for Team USA at more than 200. In that time she has won three World Championship gold medals (2005, 2008, 2009) and six silvers (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007). She and Jenny Potter are the only current team members who played on the gold-medal team in 1998. Ruggiero relishes the role of veteran and leader. "It's exciting to be a part of this and to be one of the old ladies, with all the younger kids," Ruggiero said. "It's kind of cool to see them growing, and for them to have a great experience like this."
During her career at Harvard, Ruggiero was a four-time All-American and a four-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the most prestigious award in women's college hockey. She won the award her senior year, and finished her career with 234 points (91 goals, 152 assists) in 127 games. The team won its first NCAA title in 1999. Ruggiero took a two-year leave of absence to concentrate on the Olympics, missing the 2000-01 and 2001-02 school years. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in government.
Ruggiero was the youngest member of the U.S. team that won the inaugural women's tournament in 1998, at the age of 18. Ruggiero, still in high school, competed in all six games for the U.S., logging no points and 18 penalty minutes. Her physical play was a huge asset in the gold-medal game against Canada. After winning in Nagano, she returned to school and graduated four months later. She was able to graduate on time by doing a "term abroad" during her six months with the national team. She completed courses outside the classroom to earn credits at Choate Rosemary Hall, the private boarding school she attended in Connecticut, while she was traveling.
During the Torino Games, Ruggiero was one of 12 athletes who vied for a spot on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice." The fans, who voted online, selected Ruggiero as the Olympic representative. She appeared as one of the contestants on the show's sixth season in 2007, and was the 11th person (out of 20) eliminated. After the show, Ruggiero said her history as a team player caused her to lose, because she was unable to turn against her teammates. And even though she didn't win, Trump offered Ruggiero a job, which she declined so she could train full-time for her final Olympics.
In addition to her degree from Harvard, Ruggiero is now working toward her master's degree in sports management, and plans to finish in spring 2010. She would like to pursue a career in sports broadcasting or business when she retires from the national team, though she says she will never quit playing hockey.
Growing up in California, where hockey wasn't very popular, Ruggiero and her two brothers began playing at the insistence of her father, Bill, who is from Connecticut. She played with her older brother, Billy, who was a goaltender, when they were kids. Angela made history on January 8, 2005, as the first female non-goaltender to play in a professional hockey game in North America, and Billy also was on the ice. They both played for the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League, Angela notching an assist in her 13 minutes on the ice. After the game, the Hockey Hall of Fame requested their jerseys because they became first brother and sister to play in a North American professional game.