From Saint Michael’s College to Olympic Gold: How one alum helped lead the U.S.A. Women’s Hockey Team to glory in Milan

Brent Hill ’04 stands in the Olympic arena and holds the gold medal won by the USA Women’s Hockey Team during the 2026 Milano-Cortina games. (Photo courtesy of Brent Hill)

Saint Michael’s College alumnus Brent Hill ‘04 has always known what it takes to work hard and persevere. 

As an assistant coach of the U.S.A. Women’s Hockey Team, Hill had the opportunity to accompany his players and fellow coaches to the recent Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, where they would go on to capture gold in the final match (defeating Canada in overtime, 2-1). 

His journey to the gold medal game at the Olympics can be traced directly back to his time at Saint Michael’s, where he experienced opportunities, success, and community that helped him to become the champion he is today. 

A life-changing opportunity 

After playing junior hockey in Canada, Hill stepped away from the game he had known and loved nearly his entire life. He then moved back to the Northeast and began working tirelessly to support himself. 

Even after putting hockey aside, the thought of lacing up his skates again never left his mind. Hill met with dozens of programs across the Northeast and was told several times that balancing a collegiate hockey career and a full-time job would not work. 

This all changed when he met former Saint Michael’s hockey coach, Lou DiMasi. Coach DiMasi offered Hill not only the opportunity to play for Saint Michael’s, but he also instilled in him the belief that the balance of school, hockey, and work could be done. 

After initially turning down the offer due to financial concerns, Hill committed to Saint Michael’s after seeing that his financial aid package would make enrollment possible. From that point forward, Hill balanced his work as a student, a hockey player, and an employee at Costco in Colchester, working nearly 30 hours per week.

Brent Hill ’04 poses for a photo in his Saint Michael’s College Hockey Team uniform during his student days. (Photo courtesy of Brent Hill)

His busy schedule and determined attitude helped to shape his successful future. 

“If it wasn’t for St. Mike’s and the people there, none of this would have happened,” Hill said.  

A helping community

While at Saint Michael’s, Hill found a strong support system in all aspects of his college experience. Hill’s professors, mentors, coaches, and teammates helped him navigate his busy schedule and maximize success. 

The sense of community that he experienced at Saint Michael’s College became one of the strongest pillars of his coaching philosophy. 

“Those lessons tie directly into being a coach in terms of how important people and relationships are,” Hill said. 

Hill cites the “brotherhood” he had with his teammates, as well as the College’s “personal and supportive” environment, as the major reasons for his success on and off the ice. 

During his athletic career at Saint Michael’s, Hill said the hockey team’s tight-knit, hardworking environment helped lead to a NE10 championship win during his senior year. The bond between players, regardless of their class year and playing time, was crucial to their championship win, he said. 

“Everyone being connected – that full integration – was a huge part of our success,” said Hill. 

Turning lessons into coaching

Hill majored in Business Administration at Saint Michael’s College. While he says he learned a great many lessons from the Business department, the most important was time management. 

Balancing hockey practice, classes, and long shifts, Hill learned how to maximize every minute of his day. No matter how much time he had between scheduled events, he would use it to get schoolwork or other activities done.

This has translated directly into his coaching philosophy at the elite level.

“It taught me to take any time I have and use it effectively,” Hill said. “Now, I use the time I have for scouting and preparing for games.”

Brent Hill ’04, left, poses for a selfie with others associated with Team USA after the USA Women’s Hockey Team won the gold medal game at the Milano-Cortina Olympic games in 2026. (Photo courtesy of Brent Hill)

The Olympic Games

After a lifetime of dedication and care for the game of hockey, Hill stood behind the bench as an assistant coach while the U.S. women’s national hockey team struck gold at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. 

Though he had gathered experience coaching in intense situations at the world championship level, he stated that nothing could compare to the atmosphere of the Olympic Games. 

“That gold medal game was the loudest environment I’ve ever been in,” Hill said, “Everything was just faster and more intense.” 

After watching U.S. Women’s Hockey player Megan Keller score the game-winning goal in overtime against Canada, he described the surreal feeling that followed immediately after, where everything seemed to go quiet. 

“It’s almost like, ‘did that really just happen?’” Hill said. “And then the emotion just hits you – mostly for the players and just everything they’ve sacrificed.” 

After the 2026 Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Brent Hill ’04 was named the U.S. Women’s National Team head scout for USA Hockey. (Photo courtesy of Brent Hill)

The gold medal game represented years of hard work that Hill had put in to reach this level. Collegiate coaching roles at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Merrimack University, and Quinnipiac University, where he still serves as an assistant coach, also helped him prepare for Olympic coaching. 

His experience in helping to develop hockey players into the best players they can be has helped to earn him a spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic coaching staff. 

After the games, Hill was named the U.S. Women’s National Team head scout for USA Hockey. He will be responsible for identifying, evaluating, and recruiting potential players for the various levels of play on the national team, including the Olympics, Women’s World Championship, Select Series, and Under-18 Women’s World Championship, according to a USA Hockey press release.

Representing St. Mike’s on the world stage

Hill carries with him the lessons that he learned at Saint Michael’s and represents the college at the international level with pride. 

“It’s where I got my start,” said Hill. “And that is something that I will always be grateful for.” 

In the future, Hill hopes to continue coaching with the U.S. women’s hockey program and to find continued success with his team at Quinnipiac. 

Hill’s success isn’t unique for St. Mike’s grads, he said – anyone who graduates from Saint Michael’s College can do what he did and more. 

“You have everything you need around you to achieve your goals,” Hill said. “You’re at the place that can set you up for the greatest success in life, and you have all the resources you need right there.”