RMU coach fondly remembers Olympic career

The U.S. Women's Hockey Team is going for gold Thursday morning in its third straight Olympic championship matchup with Canada.

Channel 11 talked to a Robert Morris University coach who was part of the last two matches.

Brianne McLaughlin had an amazing college and professional career on the ice and collected two Olympic medals along the way.

But now she's retired and has found a new purpose in coaching, still working in the sport she loves.

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"Retirement has been bittersweet," she said.

Her playing days are over and at first, that was a struggle for the two-time silver medalist: once in Vancouver and the other in Sochi.

"I did a little bit of a mid-life crisis if I'm going to be honest, a little bit of a panic," McLaughlin said.

As a goalie, McLaughlin became the NCAA's all-time career saves leader at Robert Morris University.

She played on the U.S. Women's National team and last year, was named the Isobel Cup Finals MVP with Buffalo Beauts in the National Women's Hockey League.

"It's something you've always wanted, it's something you worked for and the moment it comes true you get to live it, you get to appreciate it," McLaughlin said.

She now offers private lessons and coaching at the RMU Island Sports Center.

She also hosts an annual girls hockey camp because when she was growing up, it was almost all boys.

"Sometimes that's an uncomfortable situation, sometimes you get picked on, so I've tried to focus on that and having a place for girls to have a camp every summer and train with other girls and coaches," McLaughlin said. "I have the best job in the entire world."

Now she's coaching the next generation of hockey players, kids who could someday also grow up to be Olympians.

McLaughlin still stays in touch with a lot of the players on the U.S. team and has been watching their games.

Canada has beat the United States in the last two Olympics and she expects the gold medal game to come down to the same two teams.

Cox Media Group