Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL/MAY 2026 51 "Josh had coached the women at Union, and was a U18 coach, and he's been great. He's the connective tissue, he brings relentless positivity to the job." A significant part of the head coach's job is player selection for Team USA, from among the many quality players that have been developed across the country. "There's a phenomenal pyramid of talent to choose from," Wroblewski said. "We have a great team of people analyz- ing the prospects, viewing a lot of film, dissecting each player's game. But ulti- mately, it's my job to select the players." The 2026 Olympic team blended veterans in their 30s — captain Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein — along with rising young stars like Joy Dunne, Haley Winn and Laila Edwards. Wroblewski speaks of how all the parts fit together, including primary and secondary leadership groups. "I love working with the women on this team," Wroblewski said. "They in- spire me, and I hope I inspire them." Team USA's run through the Olympic Games was truly historic. In pool play, they outscored the opposition, 20-1, in four games, including a 5-0 blanking of archrival Canada. Two more shutouts in the quarterfinals and semifinals brought their totals to 31 goals to 1 heading into the gold medal game against Canada. It was a gripping, fierce battle that set the record for the most watched game in the history of women's hockey. Canada held the upper hand, taking a late 1-0 lead. Wroblewski chose to pull his goalie early, and Knight's tip-in goal with two minutes left tied it. Megan Keller's goal 4:04 into over- time gave Team USA the gold medal, only the third time in eight finals against Canada that Team USA had prevailed. The worldwide TV audience watched an emotional Wroblewski on the bench. "I think he's done wonders for this group," said Taylor Heise, one of the stars of Team USA. "We're grateful for him. He's a guy that deserves the world because he believed in all of us and gave all these young girls a chance to show up. I think he picked the right 23 girls to be here." Coach Wroblewski will be honored with a 2026 Rockne Award at the 10th annual Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Celebration Sept. 5 in Green Bay, Wis. — just 40 miles from where his journey started. ✦ Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com SPECIAL EVENT: Friday, April 24 — 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rockne: Molder of Men, led by Jim Lefebvre, Knute Rockne Memorial Society Josh Sciba was a key part of two NCAA Tournament teams in 2004 and 2007, tallying 38 goals and 34 assists in his four seasons with the Irish. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS