The 21-member USA women’s hockey team to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics will be named on Dec. 17, and I have my fingers, toes and my dog’s paws crossed in hopes that Jocelyne (on the right) and Monique Lamoureux both make it. Because what in the history of the world has ever failed to be better with the addition of hot blonde twins?
Among the revelations in the USA Today story about the twins: They didn’t date much in high school, preferring instead to hang out at a frozen creek near their house to play hockey. Also they have four older brothers who play the sport, and would mix it up with them in pickup games.
Their most valuable asset is their upbringing. They grew up with four older, hockey-playing brothers: Jean-Philippe, 25, a goalie in the Buffalo Sabres system; Jacques, 23, an Air Force Academy forward; Pierre-Paul, 22, a North Dakota student volunteer assistant coach; and Mario, 21, a North Dakota forward. Their dad, Pierre, a backup goalie, played on North Dakota’s national championship teams of 1980 and ’82.
In summer, they’d set up a shooting tarp on the side of the house and fire away or they’d play street hockey in the driveway. In winter, a frozen creek 100 yards from their home was the neighborhood rink. When it was time to stop, Linda would blow a whistle. The brothers would let the girls play on one condition: They had to keep up.
“We didn’t treat them exactly like boys,” Mario said, “but we didn’t treat them like girls, either. We didn’t cut them much slack.”
Both forwards, the girls are the second-youngest members on the USA team (by nine days to Hilary Knight). If they make the Olympic team, they’d be the first twins to play for USA Hockey at the Games. But you knew that.
After the USA’s runner-up finish to bitter rival Canada in the Four Nations Cup this month, Monique is tied for the team lead with eight goals. She shares a line with Jocelyne, who has five goals and three assists about midway through the 24-game, seven-month pre-Olympic tour.
Both played at the University of Minnesota as freshmen last year, but are now at the University of North Dakota while training with the national team. The US team won bronze in the 2006 games after being upset by Sweden.
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Lamoureux twins lead USA hockey youth movement [USA Today]
