Danvers Native Honored As Women's US Hockey Team Wins Award

DANVERS, MA — The U.S. Women's Hockey team, the team that's headed to the Olympics in 2018 with Danvers native Meghan Duggan, has been dubbed "Olympic Team of the Year" announced Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of the Year.

The ceremony recognizes the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes year-round.

“2017 was an awesome year for women’s hockey and women’s sports, and we were certainly proud to be a part of it. We’re really thankful for everyone who has supported us along the way, and we are looking forward to gearing up for Korea in February,” said Duggan upon receipt of the award via broadcast.

Eight awards were presented during a live recording of the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of the Year ceremony, held this week at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles. The awards show ­ which featured singer, actor Mark McGrath as host ­ will be televised from 5-6 p.m. Dec. 23 on NBC.

Duggan and her team was in Florida for training but they were there via Skype.

The U.S. Women's National Ice Hockey Team went undefeated in five games to claim its fourth consecutive IIHF Women's World Championship title ­ and first on home ice ­ marking its second triumph over Canada on the season having also defeated its northern rival to win its second consecutive ­ and seventh overall ­ Four Nations Cup title.

Duggan is an American ice hockey forward who represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. She also represented the United States at three Women's World Championships, capturing two gold medals and one silver.

In 1990 her parents signed her up for Danvers Youth Hockey and she fell in love with it.

In 2012 Duggan was sidelined with a major concussion that gripped the Boston area. She was nearly comatose at her parents' home in Danvers. But she made an epic comeback.

She currently plays for the Boston Pride of the National Women's Hockey League.

Photo courtesy United States Olympic Committee and NBC