They might not have been the outcomes the U.S. had hoped for, but it was a great Olympic ride.

The 2014 Winter Games finished with a silver medal for Anne Schleper, Lee Stecklein, Gigi Marvin and the U.S. Olympic women’s team.

For the men and our eight Minnesota natives, fourth was the final placing.

While the numbers in the final games may not have been in USA’s favor, there were plenty of positive marks made – including many by our local Minnesotans.

Men’s Team

David Backes: 3 goals, 1 assist

T.J. Oshie: 1 goal, 3 assists

Ryan McDonagh: 1 goal, 1 assist

Zach Parise: 1 goal, 0 assists

Blake Wheeler: 0 goals, 1 assist

• Former Golden Gopher Phil Kessel led the tournament with five goals and three assists. His five goals tied for the most scored by any player in the Olympics and earned him the honor of being named top forward of the 2014 Olympic men’s hockey tournament.
• On top of his four points, Oshie tacked on an unheard of four shootout goals in six attempts in the preliminary win over Russia.
• The U.S. scored the second-most goals of all countries in this year’s games. They put the puck in the net 20 times in six contests. Only Finland scored more goals, putting up 24 in six games.

Women’s Team

Anne Schleper: 1 goal, 2 assists

Gigi Marvin: 0 goals, 1 assist

Lee Stecklein: 0 goals, 1 assist

• The women made their fourth appearance in the Olympic gold medal game. Only Canada (5) has appeared in more gold medal games since the women began participating in the Olympics in 1998.
• The U.S. scored the most goals in this year’s Olympic games with 22 in five games played. They also had the most effective power play unit, capitalizing on 6-of-19 advantages to lead all countries.

While Olympic athletes are busy taking away their medals and memories, there are things we can take away from each game watched, too.

Pressure

It surrounds players whether it’s wanted or not, especially during tournament time. The Russian hockey team is a prime example of how extreme amounts of pressure can be tough to handle.

Many locals said anything less than gold was unacceptable.  The Russians lost and failed to meet expectations in a short tournament that requires some fortunate bounces to win games.

The Olympics are one thing, but when it comes to youth hockey, don’t make games a must-win scenario because pressure and expectations like that creates a lose-lose situation for players. It’s just a game. Loosen up the pressure and remember to have fun.

Fight to the End

The game isn’t over until the final buzzer sounds. As the U.S. women’s team found out, no lead is safe. Canada continued to challenge the U.S. to the bitter end and came home with a victory because of it. Whether you are ahead by three or down by two, never quit. Never give up.

Stay Focused

It’s one of the things players can control in a game. You can’t worry about which way the puck bounces or a call that might have been missed, but you can keep your eye on the prize.

Focus on your performance and trust in yourself and your teammates to deliver.

It’s Not About Where You Finish

The end result isn’t the only thing that is reflective of a team. Both the U.S. men and women worked hard and saw great success before losing to the Canadians, in two of the most highly anticipated, contested and exciting hockey games in the Olympics.

Just because you don’t reach your ultimate goal, doesn’t mean that your team wasn’t successful. Look back at the way the team worked, performed and improved. Those stats are as important as the final win-loss column.

In each game, there are two teams on the ice wanting to win.  A winner and loser are a part of the game, and the final outcome is never guaranteed to one team. Maintain good sportsmanship and congratulate opponents and rivals with respect and an end of the game handshake.

What did you learn from the Olympics? Tweet us at @MinnHockey.