The Northeastern men’s and women’s hockey teams will represent the United States at the FISU World University Games in Lucerne, Switzerland, from Dec. 11-21, 2021.
Northeastern is now the first university in having both its men’s and women’s teams wear the Team USA colors at this prestigious competition.
“This opportunity speaks to the success of Northeastern as a global university and the Huskies brand,” said Northeastern director of athletics and recreation Jeff Konya in a statement. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to represent the red, white and blue, while also creating a global experience for both the men’s and women’s hockey programs. We are thankful for being the first university selected to have both hockey programs represent Team USA.”
Assembled under the auspices of the United States International University Sport Federation, the USA University Team brings together the nation’s most talented student-athletes, in global university-level competition organized by FISU, the governing body for university sport worldwide.
Staged every two years in a different city, the winter edition of the FISU World University Games is a celebration of international university sports and culture. With over 3,000 of the world’s best winter sport student-athletes from more than 60 nations, the FISU World University Games is among the world’s largest winter multi-sports events.
“It is indeed a pleasure to announce that Northeastern University Hockey will represent the United States in the upcoming World University Games in Lucerne, Switzerland,” said Dan Guerrero, president of the United States International University Sports Federation. “As an institution known for producing nationally competitive men’s and women’s sides, we are excited about their prospects for earning medals and putting their university on the international map with class and pride.”
Since 2001 for men’s hockey and 2011 for women’s hockey, the U.S. National University Team, which is traditionally organized by USA Hockey and composed of players that compete in the NCAA and ACHA, competes every two years in the Winter World University Games. Team USA has reached the medal round once in 2013, where it lost to Russia in the bronze medal game, taking fourth place. On the women’s side, Team USA won the bronze medal twice, in 2013 and 2017. In the last Winter Games in 2019, the women lost to Japan in overtime to finish fourth, while the men ended the competition in seventh place.
