51茶馆

If you won an Olympic gold medal, where would you keep it? If you鈥檙e 51茶馆 alumna Emily Pfalzer 鈥�15, the answer is simple: you听 keep it in a sock.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always funny to see people鈥檚 reaction when I pull the medal out,鈥� she admitted.

Pfalzer, who graduated from 51茶馆 in 2015, earned her gold at the PyeongChang Winter Games as a member of the U.S. women鈥檚 national ice hockey team. She wasn鈥檛 the only Eagle on the ice: Cayla Barnes '22, Kali Flanagan '19, Megan Keller '19, and Haley Skarupa '16 all contributed to Team USA鈥檚 鈥攖he first in 20 years鈥攐ver Canada.

In the days and weeks following their return to the U.S., the champions were busier than ever, throwing out first pitches, chatting up Jimmy Fallon, snapping selfies with the cast of This is Us, and walking the red carpet at the ESPY Awards. Below are a few of their favorite gold medal memories:

Speechless on Ellen

After touching down in the U.S., the team鈥檚 first appearance was on . As she congratulated the women, Ellen remarked on their uniformly hoarse voices. 鈥淒id you all lose your voices from screaming?鈥� she asked one of the captains. 鈥淎re you not talking because you sound like her?鈥�

鈥淚t was so cool,鈥� Kali Flanagan '19 said of the experience. 鈥淪eeing how receptive the entire country was to our win was incredible. We were all saying, 鈥極h my gosh, how cool is it that what we鈥檝e done has made such an impact on not only women鈥檚 hockey, but just on people in general?鈥欌��

A photo with Abe

As part of their Post Olympic Tour, the team visited Washington, D.C. where they snapped a photo in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The moment was especially poignant for Haley Skarupa 鈥�16, who grew up 20 minutes outside the city.

鈥淚 have so many photos of myself with family and friends right here in front of the Lincoln Memorial,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o think I would be there years later with my teammates standing there as gold medal Olympic champions is just a dream come true.鈥�

Inspiring the next generation

As any Olympian knows, a gold medal isn鈥檛 something you keep to yourself. After the Games, Flanagan carried her medal with her 鈥渆verywhere鈥� in an effort to share the victory with as many people as possible.

鈥淚 went to my elementary school and talked to a lot of younger girls who play hockey,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o be able to show them that dreams do come true is just something that鈥檚 incredibly special, unique, and honestly priceless.鈥�

Champions club
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鈥淭his may be one of my favorite pictures of all time,鈥� said Skarupa, who sat front row with the rest of her team for the Tie Break Tens tennis tournament at Madison Square Garden. 鈥淭he Williams sisters were so awesome, funny, and excited for us鈥攊f you zoom in, Venus is holding my gold medal!鈥�

Setting the pace

The summer after her Olympic win, Megan Keller '19 returned to her home state to drive the pace car at the FireKeepers Casino 400, a NASCAR race held every year at the Michigan International Speedway. 鈥淯nreal experience鈥� she听听after the race. 鈥淭hanks [NASCAR champion] @KurtBusch for being nice to me back there!鈥�

Opening Ceremony

Although her gold medal dreams were yet to be realized, walking in the Opening Ceremony will forever be Cayla Barnes 鈥�22鈥檚 most treasured Olympic memory.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such a cool moment when the whole world is watching and there is peace through sport,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o be on the highest stage realizing your dreams鈥攊t鈥檚 a moment I will never forget.鈥�

鈥�Alix Hackett | University Communications | October 2018