Playing her first full season on defense, Edwards has 36 points (eight goals, 28 assists) in 21 games with No. 1 Wisconsin.<\/p>\n
She has another Olympic connection in Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson, who was a key member of the “Miracle on Ice” U.S. men’s hockey team that won gold at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s getting more comfortable back there,\u201d Johnson said earlier this season. \u201cShe\u2019s a real gifted athlete so some things come easy. But other things she has to work at but she\u2019s willing to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move came at Edwards\u2019 suggestion to the U.S. Women\u2019s National Team coaches to maximize her chances of making the Olympic roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, a defenseman throughout the course of the game touches the puck twice as many times as that team’s best forward, and so they can have so much more impact,\u201d U.S. women\u2019s Olympic coach John Wroblewski said earlier this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re around it more often. I think her desire to play the position is just being more involved in the play. And we thought, \u2018This is a good adventure to go down and support the player through that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Edwards has made her mark on international hockey well before Milano Cortina. She won gold at the 2025 IIHF Women\u2019s World Championship and silver at the 2024 women\u2019s worlds, where she tied for the lead in goals (six) and, at 20 years old, became the youngest American to receive the tournament\u2019s Most Valuable Player award.<\/p>\n