The first game for USA Hockey and boy was I ready to shoot this one!

As many of you know, the primary sport that I shoot at the Winter Olympics is hockey. I am the official photographer for the men's and women's hockey teams for Team USA. I play the game, love the game and really enjoy working with the team. And after everything that has happened during the last couple of days, it was nice to get to work and shoot the team and the sport that I love so much.

Before going into the images and the game, I should mention that upon arriving at the ice rinks here in PyeongChang, I was struck by how amazing clean and transparent the plexiglass is. I know that it will get scuffed up a bit as play goes on, but for now it is excellent! And at the Olympics we have to shoot through the plexi. There are no holes like we have in the NHL. I shot the entire game with the Canon 1D X MK II and the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS II lens through the glass.

Here is a shot of Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson taking the puck to the front of the net with a defender right on her.

When I teach sports photography, I always tell people that for hockey, it really helps to have the puck in the shot.

A little flex of the stick captured in this shot.

For anyone thinking that women's hockey is not as exciting as men's hockey - you are wrong. These women play an aggressive and exciting game.

I usually ask to for a photo position on the side where USA shoots twice. This gives me the middle period to get shots of the goalie in action.

I like the cool patriotic mask.

The Olympics are much more than the sports themselves. It is the perfect time for national pride, and I love capturing that as well.

I am still shooting the defense in the second period.

Then the third period starts and I am back to shooting the offense.

Amanda Kessel almost scored a goal on this shot.

Go Team USA! These people celebrated the team's third goal which sealed the win.

I moved to a position where I could see the ladies celebration, and happened to zoom out quick enough to frame them with two of the Finnish ladies.

And then at the end of the each game, both teams go to the center of the ice and pay tribute to the fans. After that tribute, the ladies huddled in for a little celebration of their own.

The next game for the ladies is late tomorrow night (here in PyeongChang anyways) against the Russians. That should be another good one!

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