ON A MISSION

TRIO OF YOUTH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS LOOKING TO ADD A 2024 CHIPOTLE-USA HOCKEY YOUTH TIER 1 15O NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THE CHICAGO MISSION TO AN ALREADY MEMORABLE YEAR.

FARGO, N.D.— Abe Barnett, Aurelio Garcia and Shaffer Gordon-Carroll are no strangers to high pressure moments within the realm of USA Hockey. The Chicago Mission trio entered 2024 battling against international opponents as part of the U.S. Youth Olympic Men’s Hockey in Gangwon, South Korea. Team USA brought home the gold medal, but that wasn’t the end of the hunt for these three chasing hockey greatness.

Now the trio is back in the United States as gold medalists ready to jump right back into another high-stakes tournament – the 2024 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier I 15O National Championship.

“Playing for your country is something special,” said Gino Cavallini, head coach of the Chicago Mission. “Being included in that group of players was very exciting for those three young men. They have a little more swagger knowing that they had all eyes on them at Youth Olympics and now they’ve come to a setting like this and they’re bringing a calm, composed demeanor to the locker room.”

Having had the experience playing at the highest youth level to start the year off, these young hockey players bring an air of calmness to the Mission team, which is 3-1 through four games at nationals so far in Fargo, North Dakota.

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