WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM BONDS DURING IRMA

The new motto of the U.S. women’s national hockey squad could be that the team that rides out a hurricane together stays together. Forward Brianna Decker said after spending 221⁄ hours hun2 kered down together in Wesley Chapel, Fla., to avoid Hurricane Irma, the Americans have a fresh understanding of the team con- cept. “Indirectly, it ended up being a great team-bonding experience,” she said. “Hanging out together for that long, we still all got along and it showed a lot about our team.” Training in Florida for the 2018 Olympics, the Americans entered a secure area of Saddlebrook Resort at

10:30 a.m. Sunday and came out at 9 a.m. Monday with everyone safe. Wesley Chapel is located

20 miles north of Tampa. Many from the Tampa area evacuated, including members of the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team. “I think unknown (aspect) of it made it daunting at the beginning of the week,” USA forward

Meghan Duggan said. “But it turned out to us having a giant sleepover in a very secure area.” USA Hockey director of women’s hockey Reagan Carey said she was confident of the decision to keep the team sheltered in place because local authorities were recommending that people use Saddlebrook as an option for evacuees. “We knew every detail of the building, including how many steel trusses there were in the building and whether it was poured concrete,” Carey said. “We were confident we were in a safe, secure area.” Duggan said she had no reservations about remaining in Florida. — Kevin Allen