Alumni Rory Guilday ’25 and Team USA Take Home Ice Hockey Gold Stories You May Like ‘Remember They’re Playing for the Love of the Game’ Language of Lynah: How Well Do You Know Your Hockey Chants? O Canada! Former Big Red Player Runs Popular Hockey Bar in NYC It was the Olympic debut for the Arts & Sciences alum—the first Cornellian woman to represent the nation in the sport Editor's note: This story includes content from a feature in the Cornell Chronicle. By Cornellians staff At the Olympic women's ice hockey final between the U.S. and Canada, the question wasn't whether Cornellians would win medals—it was which color those shiny discs would be. The much-anticipated matchup between the longtime rivals had former Big Red stars on both sides: Rory Guilday ’25 for Team USA and Brianne Jenner ’15 and Kristin O’Neill ’20 for Team Canada. Gregory Shamus / Getty ImagesGuilday greets the crowd after the win. It was a pulse-pounder of a game, with O'Neill scoring for Canada in the second period and the U.S. only tying it up late in the third. That sent the game into three-on-three overtime—when a dramatic backhand shot cinched it for the Americans, with a final score of 2-1. The much-anticipated matchup between the longtime rivals had former Big Red stars on both sides: Rory Guilday ’25 for Team USA and Brianne Jenner ’15 and Kristin O’Neill ’20 for Team Canada. O'Neill's goal was one of only two the U.S. allowed during the entire Olympic tournament, during which it posted 33 of its own. “Winning gold here in Milan was the ultimate goal, and our group battled constantly to make that a reality,” U.S. head coach John Wroblewski said in a press release on the team's website. “From our veteran leadership to our first-time Olympians, this team came together to accomplish something greater than themselves." Caroline Sherman / Cornell AthleticsGuilday playing for the Big Red ... Elsa / Getty Images... and on Olympic ice. One of those Olympic rookies was Guilday—a five-foot-eleven, left-shooting defenseman who plays for the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women's Hockey League. A Minnesota native who majored in psychology in Arts & Sciences, Guilday is the first Cornellian woman to represent the U.S. in Olympic ice hockey. From our veteran leadership to our first-time Olympians, this team came together to accomplish something greater than themselves. U.S. head coach John Wroblewski She made the All-Ivy First Team as both a junior and senior and won gold at the 2023 World Championships, along with silver in 2022 and 2024. “I talked with Rory when she arrived at Cornell, and I’m not sure at that point she believed she was capable of this,” Big Red women's head coach Doug Derraugh ’91 said ahead of the Games. “But she is a dominating physical presence, and women’s hockey has become much more physical in recent years. She is also a powerful skater and has one of the hardest shots I’ve ever seen.” Stories You May Like ‘Remember They’re Playing for the Love of the Game’ Language of Lynah: How Well Do You Know Your Hockey Chants? Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesJenner skates in the final for team Canada ... David W. Cerny / Pool / Getty Images... and O'Neill scores early in the second period. While Guilday took home gold, fellow alums Jenner and O’Neill won silver. Milan marked Jenner's fourth Olympic appearance for Canada. The former Arts & Sciences government major previously won two gold medals and one silver. Number two in career points for the Big Red and a member of the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame, Jenner was the top goal-scorer at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, with nine. Golden Moments Sarah Stier / Getty ImagesGuilday (far right) and teammates receive their medals. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesThe playing of the National Anthem. Gregory Shamus / Getty ImagesPosing for a photo with Old Glory. Sarah Stier / Getty ImagesA victory selfie. O’Neill, who majored in psychology in Arts & Sciences, made her Olympic playing debut. She traveled to Beijing in 2022 as part of Canada’s “taxi squad”—players who were available in case of a COVID outbreak on a team—but never saw the ice. [Rory] is a dominating physical presence, and women’s hockey has become much more physical in recent years. She is also a powerful skater and has one of the hardest shots I’ve ever seen. Big Red head coach Doug Derraugh ’91 She won three world championships with Team Canada and finished her Cornell career as the program’s all-time leader in game-winning goals, with 21. In addition to the three Cornellian medal winners, another former Big Red star played in the Milan Olympics. Sarah Stier / Getty ImagesTeam Canada sports their silver medals. CALS alum Laura Fortino ’13 had played for Canada in two previous Games, winning silver in 2014 and gold in 2018. A member of the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame, she qualified via family lineage to play for Team Italy in Milan. While the host nation won two of its four preliminary-round games in women's ice hockey, it lost to the U.S. in the quarterfinals. Top: Team USA celebrates its gold medal win. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images) Published February 20, 2026 Comments Joan Saltsman Oelschlager, Class of 1974 24 Feb, 2026 I couldn’t be prouder of all our alumnae. As a founding member of the team back in the 70’s, I am in awe of how fast they skate, their stick skills, and the fearlessness that they play with. Congratulations to all. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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