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Edwards didn't see anyone who looked like her when she started playing hockey in her hometown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and that was initially discomforting. Now she accepts her place as someone who can help change that for the next generation of young players. "I'm hoping that I'm presenting an example that shows that it's possible," she said. There's also so much more potentially to come for the for- ward with fluid skating strides, high-level hands and a knack for finishing. Many closest to Edwards believe her game is on the upward. "I'm excited to see where she can take her game because she's just tapping the surface right now and will continue to get better," said Mark Johnson, head coach of the Wisconsin women's hockey team. Edwards has broken through at multiple points in her young career, not just the Nov. 11 Rivalry Series game against Canada in Los Angeles that served as her official U.S. Women's National Team debut. She was 11 years old and play- ing for Pittsburgh Penguins Elite in a 12-and-under tournament in Massachusetts when she expe- rienced an awakening. A height- ened intensity level on the ice translated to her game, and the results in terms of goals and overall performance made her think that a higher level was possible. It also made her a known commodity. "Everyone's known Laila since then," said Kathy Pippy, who started the program that evolved into Pens Elite and has followed Edwards' career. "Whether it was 12U, 14U, up in Canada, they all know Laila. And they all know what she's capable of." Not all the turning points have been positive experiences in the moment, however. Edwards didn't get picked for a national camp the summer before her sophomore year with Bishop Kearney Selects, and it left an impression on her about what it takes to progress to higher levels. From then on, she didn't want to give evaluators any reason to leave her out. "If I get cut or I don't, at least I can say that I made it hard for them," Edwards said. "That's a great mentality to have." In good times and bad, Edwards has had the support of her family and her community. Her dad, Robert, used to set up morning practice sessions with skills instructors. Laila Edwards and her siblings Bobby, Chayla (also a Wisconsin teammate) and Colson left the house at 5:40 a.m. for the 10-minute drive to the Cleveland Heights Community Center. The Edwards family had to find inexpensive ice time, Robert Edwards said, and 6 a.m. fit that need and the kids' schedule before school. They'd be on the ice for an hour with Eamonn McDermott or Tim and Alex Okicki, some of the many people who Robert Edwards said gave their time more for the benefit of young players than for the money. "That one-on-one time with three or four players in the morning really created their success," Robert Edwards said. Laila Edwards continued the early-morning skates after she left home to attend Bishop Kearney in Rochester, New York, at the start of eighth grade. The wake-up call was even ear- lier—4:55 a.m. 40 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF Wisconsin Athletics; Summer Dutton/USA Hockey TRAILBLAZING BADGER "I'm excited to see where she can take her game because she's just tapping the surface right now and will continue to get better." – Mark Johnson, Wisconsin head coach