Katie Burt will return to the world stage next month. This time, though, it will be on home ice. The 17-year-old goalie from Lynn has been named to the 2015 U.S. women?s national under-18 team that will compete in the Women?s World Championship Jan. 5-12 in Buffalo.
This is Burt?s second consecutive year being named to the national team.
?Every time you get to put that USA jersey on it?s an honor,” she said. “I don?t care who you?re playing or what you?re doing, it is definitely an honor being able to represent your country, especially on home ice this year.”
Last year?s team finished second to Canada in the tournament that was played in Budapest.
?I think the experience last year was great,” said Burt, who is Boston College?s starting goalie as a freshman.
?There were a lot of returners that helped ease my way into international competition. I think it?s definitely something that can be very mesmerizing at points, especially last year. My first start in international competition was against Budapest. There was a big, huge crowd. It was awesome.”
She?s looking forward to the challenge of the international game again.
?I think the pace is a lot quicker than I was used to,” she said. “You?re playing against the best girls in the world, and I think it?s a lot quicker than your normal high school pace. That was something that I had a little bit of trouble adjusting to at first, but I think I slowly got into it.”
Since playing for the national team last year, Burt accelerated her high school work at Buckingham Browne & Nichols to enroll a year early at BC, where she is an economics major. The adjustment to college has been smooth, she said.
?Actually, it?s great” she said. “It?s a lot easier than I thought it would be. I think BBN helped a lot with that.”
Although she is almost always the youngest ? if not the youngest ? player on the ice , that has not shown in her performance. Burt, who won?t turn 18 until Jan. 26, leads Hockey East goalies in goals against with a 0.60 average, save percentage (.966) and winning percentage with a perfect 9-0-0 record. Overall, she is 15-0-1 with four shutouts starting all 16 games for the Eagles, posting a 1.04 GAA and .945 save percentage.
She was named Hockey East rookie of the week on Oct. 27 for her performance in two games against Cornell. She totaled 41 saves, allowing four goals as the Eagles won both games by identical scores of 6-2. She has yet to allow more than two goals in any game.
Burt takes any age difference in stride.
?I think that?s actually something that I like to embrace,” she said. “I think it?s fun. I think everyone is like, ?Oh, she?s young.? And they?re not expecting that much out of you. It?s good to kind of prove them wrong. I have a lot of fun with it. I get ragged on a lot because I?m wicked, wicked young, but I think it?s something that I definitely enjoy. I?ve always played with older girls and it?s really fun to be able to look up to them and get the experience that they have.”
This time she is looking forward to being one of the veterans on the U-18 team, taking on a leadership role.
?I think that?s definitely something that I want to embrace and hopefully some of the younger girls will hopefully want to look up to us, as I did last year,” she said. “I think that experience — even if we don?t finish on top — that experience last year of just being in Budapest, getting to win the silver medal and then going to college and getting all that experience. I practice with (BC teammate) Alex Carpenter every day. She was (a 2014) Olympian. I think I can kind of hopefully bring some things like that into the world championships this year and try to be a role model for some of the younger kids.”
Playing at BC, close to home, allows her family, including parents Jim and Kris Burt, to catch most of her games. And when the World Championship opens at home in Buffalo, it?s practically right down the street.
?Exactly,” she said. “My parents will have