Northeastern’s six 2014 Olympic participants.
BOSTON — Six participants, five medals, one all-star and countless memories. The 2014 Sochi Olympics vaulted Northeastern Athletics to an unparalleled level of success on the world stage. Now that the Olympic flame has been extinguished, it’s time to reflect upon the historic performances that made us all proud to be Huskies.
Northeastern at the 2014 Olympics: By the Numbers
- Northeastern athletes won five medals (one silver, four bronze).
- Prior to the Sochi Olympics, Northeastern athletes had never won more than three medals in a single Olympics (Nagano)
- Northeastern had the fifth-most Olympic participants (six) in the NCAA. Only Wisconsin (12), North Dakota (10), Minnesota (10) and Dartmouth (eight) had more Olympic participants in 2014.
- Northeastern was the only CAA institution with 2014 Olympians.
- Steve Langton became the first NU Olympian to win multiple medals at the same Olympics when he won bronze in both the two-man and four-man bobsled events.
- Langton and teammate Steven Holcomb became the first U.S. two-man crew to win a medal since the 1952 Olympics in Oslo, Norway.
- Langton and Holcomb also became the first U.S. bobsledders to medal in both the two-man and four-man events since the 1952 Olympics.
- Current student-athlete Kendall Coyne won a silver medal for Team USA and tied for the team lead in scoring with six points (two goals, four assists).
- Former women’s hockey standouts Florence Schelling ’12 and Julia Marty ’11 helped Switzerland win its first-ever medal (bronze) in women’s hockey.
- Schelling was named the MVP of the women’s hockey tournament by the IIHF.
- Schelling was also named the Best Goaltender of the tournament (IIHF) and earned a spot on the tournament All-Star Team.
- Schelling averaged 42.5 saves per game and stopped a tournament-best 64 shots against Canada in the preliminary round.
- Hilary Witt ’00 helped Team USA to the silver medal in women’s hockey as an assistant coach (coaches are not awarded medals).
- As general manager, David Poile ’72 constructed the U.S. men’s hockey team, which advanced to the Bronze Medal Game and placed fourth.
Kendall Coyne at the 2014 Olympics
Competing in her first Olympics, Kendall Coyne turned in several strong performances in helping Team USA capture the silver medal in women’s hockey. Coyne tied for the team lead in scoring with six points on two goals and four assists. In the preliminary round, Coyne notched two goals and two assists in a 9-0 victory over Switzerland. Coyne then posted a pair of helpers in the semifinals vs. Sweden to help the Americans advance to the Gold Medal Game vs. rival Canada. Team USA gave the Canadians all they could handle in the championship, but a late rally helped Canada overcome a 2-0 deficit to claim gold with a 3-2 overtime win.
Steve Langton at the 2014 Olympics
Northeastern track alum Steve Langton ’06 made history in Sochi by becoming the first NU Olympian to win two medals at one Olympics. Langton and teammate Steven Holcomb took bronze in both the two-man and four-man bobsled competitions to help Team USA earn spots on the podium in both events for the first time since the 1952 Olympics in Oslo, Norway.
Julia Marty at the 2014 Olympics
Julia Marty ’11 captained the Swiss women’s hockey team to its first-ever Olympic medal (bronze) in the sport. One of the team leaders in ice-time, Marty was instrumental in helping Switzerland shut out Russia, 2-0, in the quarterfinals, before helping the team make history with a 4-3 win over Sweden in the Bronze Medal Game.
David Poile at the 2014 Olympics
As general manager of the U.S. men’s hockey team, David Poile ’72 constructed a team that advanced to the tournament semifinals and made an appearance in the Bronze Medal Game. Team USA also finished in first place in Group A and notched wins over Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Czech Republic. Forward Phil Kessel was named the tournament’s best forward after leading the Olympics with seven points.
Florence Schelling at the 2014 Olympics
The play of Florence Schelling ’12 was a major storyline at the 2014 Olympics. Not only did Schelling backstop the Swiss to their first-ever medal in women’s hockey, the former NU standout also took home MVP honors for the entire tournament after averaging 42.5 saves per game and posting a .914 save percentage. Schelling stopped 64 shots vs. Canada in the preliminary round and turned aside 41 shots in a quarterfinal shutout of Russia. In addition to her MVP laurels, Schelling was also named the tournament’s Best Goaltender (IIHF) and was voted to the tournament All-Star team by the media, becoming the first Swiss women’s hockey player to earn Olympic All-Star honors.
Hilary Witt at the 2014 Olympics
As an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s hockey team, Hilary Witt ’00 helped the Americans to a second-place finish and the silver medal. Team USA notched wins over Finland, Switzerland and Sweden, and gave Canada all it could handle in the Gold Medal Game.