[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 21 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E315-E316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNITION OF SARA DeCOSTA OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

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                         HON. ROBERT A. WEYGAND

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 5, 1998

  Mr. WEYGAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sara DeCosta, a 
constituent from my district who, along with her teammates on the 
United States Women's Olympic Hockey Team, won the Gold Medal in the 
Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
  Sara began playing hockey at the age of five in the all-male Warwick 
Junior Hockey Association. She loved the game, but kept hearing people 
tell her that there would be little opportunity for a female to play at 
the next level. At Toll Gate High School Sara again played on an all-
male team. Sara was the first female ever to play in the Rhode Island 
Interscholastic League's Championship Division. With her in the net, 
Toll Gate became the first public school in a decade to play in the 
state hockey finals. As goalie, Sara shut out the defending

[[Page E316]]

champions during a final game against 17-year consecutive title holders 
Mount St. Charles Academy. She became the first goalie in 18 years to 
do so in a title series game. Due to her hard work the year before, 
Sara was the starting goalie her senior year.
  Sara began her college career playing for the women's hockey team at 
Providence College. During the summer of 1997 Sara was chosen for Team 
USA to compete in the Pacific Rim Games at Lake Placid, New York. Team 
USA shut out the Canadian women's team 3-0 in the winner take all 
championship game. As a result of her skill and sportsmanship during 
those games, Sara was chosen for the United States Women's Olympic 
Hockey Team.
  Sara is not only a great player, she is a great team player. She was 
not chosen to start in the gold medal game against Canada, but 
understood that the success of the whole team was more important than 
whether or not she got to play. Before the gold medal game she took off 
her angel pin that had brought her good luck for so long and gave it to 
the starting goalie.
  For the past fifteen years Sara has heard people tell what she can't 
do. Sara has shown the whole world what she can do. I ask my colleagues 
to join me in congratulating Sara and the rest of her teammates for 
their victory in Nagano.

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