Jesse Compher (SHA’21) (front) has been involved in USA Hockey since high school; she won a gold medal with the USA Under-18 team at the 2016 U-18 World Junior Championship. Photo courtesy of USA Hockey

Olympics

Alums Jesse Compher, Marie-Philip Poulin Head to Beijing to Skate in Winter Olympics

The two BU ice hockey stars will compete, Compher for Team USA, Poulin for Team Canada

Boston University will be represented on two of the most promising women’s hockey teams to take the ice in Beijing during the 2022 Winter Olympics, which begin this week.

Veteran Olympian Marie-Philip Poulin (CAS’15)—already a two-time gold medal winner—will be skating in her fourth Olympics with Team Canada, and Jesse Compher (CGS’19, SHA’21) makes her Olympic debut for Team USA less than a year after graduating from BU.

“It’s always been a dream of mine,” Compher says. “I honestly don’t know if it’s even hit me yet. I don’t think it’s going to sink in until the first game.”

Compher has skated in 12 international games with the United States Women’s National Hockey Team while studying at BU, but has never played on the Olympic stage. At 22, she is one of very few US athletes to make the jump from college directly to the Olympics.

“It’s a fantastic accomplishment for Jesse,” says BU head coach Brian Durocher (Wheelock’78). “I always had a thought she could do it because she has fourth-line intensity, yet has a high skill level. When you can be anywhere from the first to fourth liner, that gives you more chances to make a team.”

Compher says she didn’t expect to crack the Olympic roster so quickly, but that she was constantly preparing for the opportunity. “I had this hope in the back of my mind. You just have to work.” 

Poulin, at 30, is the polar opposite. Over more than a decade, she has become one of Canada’s top players and has earned a reputation for coming up big at the Olympics. She has two game-winning goals in gold medal games, scoring in Vancouver in 2010 and in Sochi in 2014.

“She’s had ice water in her veins, and that’s the thing that to me is most impressive,” Durocher says. “She continues to excel, continues to score these big goals, and continues to look like she’s 8 or 10 years younger than she is.”

Wearing the scarlet and white a few years apart, Poulin and Compher both starred during their BU careers. Poulin left the program as its all-time leader in goals (81), assists (100), and points (181), helping BU to the program’s only NCAA title games, in 2011 and 2013.

“What she’s done before she got to BU, during her time at BU, and now after BU has been magnificent,” Durocher says.

Compher graduated with 126 points, including a 61-point sophomore campaign that ranked third across the NCAA, highlighted by her game-winning assist in the 2019 Beanpot final, the team’s first Beanpot championship since becoming a varsity sport.

“The real big opening was in her sophomore year here. It wasn’t a fluke,” Durocher says. “That was when I think everybody started to really stand up and take notice.”

Compher will have plenty of veteran players supporting her on the ice in Beijing. One mentor is American star Kendall Coyne Schofield, who played with Northeastern University from 2011 to 2016, often facing off against Poulin.

“I always have looked up to Kendall,” Compher says. “She’s been nothing but one of my good friends and a good role model.”

Compher says for her and her teammates, the mission is straightforward. “We want to bring home gold. That’s our goal, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Jesse Compher and Team USA begin their Olympic quest against Finland on Thursday, February 3, at 8:10 am Eastern time, and will go up against Poulin and Team Canada on Monday, February 7, at 11:10 pm Eastern time. The quarterfinals will be on Friday, February 11, the semifinals on Monday, February 14, and the gold medal game on Thursday, February 17. Most Team USA games can be seen live on USA Network or CNBC.