The United States Olympic Women's Hockey Team arrived at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona on Monday night ahead of the IIHF Women's World Championship starting Wednesday in Utica. The event will run April 3 through April 14.

Team USA will help open the tournament on Wednesday with a 7 PM game vs. Switzerland at the Aud, which will be broadcast over the NHL Network worldwide. Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Denmark will face Sweden at 11:00 AM, and Finland will face Czechia at 3 PM. In a preliminary game on Saturday, Team USA defeated Czechia 6-1 in Lake Placid. Team USA is the defending world champion.

USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...

A group of reporters and photographers were patiently waiting for Team USA's arrival in the lobby of the Tower Hotel at the Turning Stone late Monday afternoon.

USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...

Forward Laila Edwards removes luggage from the bus as she checks in at the Tower Hotel in Verona, before Wednesday's first round game. Edwards is from University of Wisconsin.

USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...

Cayla Barnes of Ohio State University is from Eastvale, California.

USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...
USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...

The city welcomed the team with open arms, with media greeting the team upon arrival at the hotel. The greater Utica area also created hype with local children, distributing 13,000 activity books with games and information about all ten teams competing to 55 schools in the Oneida, Herkimer and Madison Counties. Additionally, 7,000 of those Utica-area elementary school students attending games throughout the tournament. - IIHF

USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...

In conjunction with the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, in Utica, athletes from U12 through the collegiate level are invited to attend the Women in Sport Summit, Friday, April 5, at 10 a.m. The free summit will be held in the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center on the Campus of Utica University.

The Women in Sport Summit will feature an impressive group of panelists who will discuss strength & conditioning, nutrition, health & wellness and equity. The Summit will also feature a viewing of the documentary, “Keepers of the Game,” based on the Salmon River High School girls’ lacrosse program, directed by Judd Ehrlich.

USA HOCKEY: HOTEL
NANCY L. FORD PHOTOGRAPHY
loading...

Rory Guilday, of Minnetonka, Minnesota talks with teammates during check-in at the hotel on Monday. Guilday is from Cornell University.

Utica University Men's Hockey Gets Police Escort to D3 Frozen Four

The Utica University Men's Hockey Team got an amazing send-off on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, as they were leaving for Hartford, CT., to compete for a national title in the DIII Frozen Four. Community members along with Utica Police and Fire gave Gary Heenan and his young squad an escort to the New York State Thruway. Utica will compete against Hobart in the NCAA DIII Semi Final game, Thursday at 3 p.m..

Gallery Credit: Photos by Nancy L. Ford

LOOK: Biggest underdog victories in March Madness

Every spring, legions of sports fans turn their attention to college basketball when March Madness takes the national spotlight. Using aggregated Associated Press data, BestOdds has come up with 10 of the biggest—and most unlikely—underdog wins in March Madness history.

Gallery Credit: Brian Budzynski

Marcus Santos-Silva and 9 other College Basketball Stars who went to the NFL

Santos-Silva is going to give the NFL a shot, can he be the next Antonio Gates?

Take A Tour Inside Retired NBA Stars Texas Mansion For Sale

Jermaine O'Neal is selling his 16,000-square foot mansion which features 8 bedrooms and comes with indoor basketball court, movie theater and bowling alley.

Gallery Credit: Sherri Murphy - Coldwell Banker

More From WIBX 950