Team USA stalwart and former Harvard star Ruggiero retires
In the Olympics, Ruggiero won a gold medal in 1998 as the youngest member (18 years old) of the team, a silver medal in 2002 where she was named the tournament’s top defenseman, a bronze medal in 2006 where she tied for the lead among tournament defensemen with six points and was named the tournament’s top defenseman for a second time and another silver medal at the 2010 Olympics where she was named to the media all-star team.
Ruggiero racked up 253 points (96 goals, 157 assists) in her four-year career (1998-2000, 2002-04) at Harvard to rank sixth all-time at the school and first among defensemen. The four-time All-American was a finalist for the Kazmaier Award in each of her four collegiate campaigns, winning it in 2004.
“Angela has been a tremendous ambassador for women’s ice hockey,” added U.S. Women’s National Team and Harvard coach Katey Stone in a statement. “Her impact on the game has far exceeded her accomplishments on the ice. We want to wish Angela the very best as she takes this next step in her life and thank her for her unrelenting dedication to USA Hockey. She will be missed.”
