There’s an old sports adage that says the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back, and Morgan McGathey ‘25 recently earned the honor of having “USA” on the front of hers. 

A rising junior at Thayer, McGathey made the US U18 (Under-18) women’s select hockey team which competed in a three-games series against Canada. The series, which took place Aug. 16-19, was held in the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York. 

Athletic Director Bobbi Moran called McGathey’s roster spot on the national team “amazing news” and congratulated her on the accomplishment. Moran said it speaks well of both McGathey and the girls hockey program at Thayer that’s being carefully grown under the watchful eye of head coach Brandy Fisher-Bailey P ‘28, ‘29, who cherishes her own national team experience as a player. 

Fisher-Bailey also congratulated McGathey on making the national team and having an opportunity to play for her country. 

“She’s worked hard all summer,” said Fisher-Bailey, who noted how intense the tryouts were as young women from across the nation competed for the 24 roster spots. The U18 women’s select team is coached by Liz Keady Norton, who also serves as head coach of the Dartmouth women’s hockey team. 

The U18 women’s select team and similar select teams compete under the aegis of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.