News Staff Reporter
Three Choate alumnae – Angela Ruggiero ’98, Julie Chu ’01, and Kim Insalco ’99 – are on this year’s Olympic team.
Ruggiero graduated from Choate in 1998, several months after winning the Gold Medal in Nagano that winter, the first time Women’s Ice Hockey was an Olympic sport. Ruggiero also threw the shot put, discus, and javelin for the Track team in addition to playing hockey while at Choate. Ruggiero attended Harvard University after graduating from Choate and anchored the defense for the Crimson, earning All-American honors all four years, as well being a four-time a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, finally winning the prestigious award her senior year.
She graduated from Harvard in 2002 with a degree in Government and finished with 243 career points in 127 games despite playing defense.
Ruggiero is one of the best female defenders in the world. She has played in the Central Hockey League alongside her brother Bill, a goaltender. This was the first time proffessional US hockey had seen a brother and sister play together. Ruggiero no doubt made life more difficult for the Wild Boars in the offensive and defensive zones with her physical play and blistering slap shot.
Chu graduated from Choate in 2001 after playing Hockey, Soccer, and Softball for the Wild Boars. She set a girls hockey record with 101 goals and 112 assists in 71 career games. The student body elected Chu school president her senior year, however, she was forced to resign her presidency as she was afforded the opportunity to train with the US national team in Lake Placid.
After graduating from Choate and earning a silver medal in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Chu followed in Ruggiero’s footsteps and enrolled at Harvard University. During the 2004-2005 season Chu was elected co-captain as a junior and led the Crimson with a 2.19 points per game average and to an NCAA championship game appearance. She aspires to pursue a career in education after her hockey carreer is over.
Insalaco graduated from Choate in 1999. Upon graduation she enrolled at Brown University to play college hockey. Insalaco recorded 127 points during her illustrious four year career at Brown, including four game-winning goals during a magical junior year in 2001-2002. Insalaco also played on the World Championship team in 2004 and 2005. Insalaco will make her debut as a member of the Olympic squad this year.
