The United States men’s hockey team defeated their Olympic rivals this past weekend and are on their way to face other competitors.

“When I watched the Russia vs. U.S., my mind was blown,” senior Zach Baker said. “I had never seen such an aggressive and fast-paced game.”

The team beat Russia 3-2 after an eight-round shootout last Saturday Feb. 15. The fans were going crazy afterward from the joy of beating Russia.

“I was on my feet watching the TV waiting for the final goal,” junior Zack Norton said. “After watching that game, I knew that US had a good chance of making a medal spot.”

The good vibes are being continued after the U.S. just recently beat Slovakia and the Czech Republic in the quarterfinal.

“I’m really impressed we’ve been doing really good,” junior Josh Whitehorn said. “I was really glad that we beat Russia, one of the top teams, and I can’t believe I almost missed the game.”

For many, the hardest part is trying to keep up to date with how the team is doing since the Olympic Games are on the other side of the world.

“It is hard to watch especially working around a busy swim schedule,” Baker said. “I just record the games and watch them at my soonest convenience.”

Others make use of their phones to follow the men’s hockey team.

“I’ve mostly been keeping up with [the games] on my phone which is not all that great but it works,” Whitehorn said. “Growing up in the South, I’m used to hockey not being covered very well so it’s not too bad.”

Still with people having troubles to know how the team is going, the general feeling is of pride and looking forward to how the team does.

“I really want the U.S. to win,” Baker said. “I think they will be able to go far and I definitely can’t wait to see what happens.”