It’s usually pretty easy to tell whose side hockey fans are on unless you’re not actually cheering on the players. We’re here for the ref. Said no one ever. Yeah, I know. I love it. That’s quite all right. Proud moment. Shawna Neri is one of 12 referees for Olympic women’s ice hockey. She’s also 8-year-old Charlie’s hockey coach and mom. My mom and my mummy were crying, and I was like, Why are you crying? And then they’re like, We made it to the Olympics. This is her first Olympics, so this was *** dream when she started refereeinging quite *** number of years ago, and she’s been to *** lot of international hockey federation tournaments. So it’s been *** building block for sure, and this is *** very special moment to be able to get here. Becoming an Olympic hockey ref. It isn’t easy. Shawna spent 4 years reffing things like world championships and Olympic qualifiers to get here. For her to make it thus far is just amazing to have all these support people to be able to come all the way to Italy is even more amazing. So if things get rough on the ice, all she’s got to do is look up to her crowd, and she’ll have her little man here. That little man has gelato on the line if mom wipes out. When she falls, she gets me ice cream. If she falls on the ice during *** game, you get ice cream. Yeah, she buys me ice cream. What are you rooting for today, Charlie? I don’t know. Something tells me ice cream will have to wait as mom gives the Olympics her gold medal best.

Shauna Neary, one of 12 referees for Olympic women’s ice hockey, is officiating at the Milan Cortina Olympics with the support of her family.”We’re here for the ref. Proud moment,” said Kyla Neary, Shauna’s sister. Shauna Neary is not only a referee but also the hockey coach and mom to 8-year-old Charlie.”When I found out, my mom and my mommy were crying, and I was like,’Why are you crying?'” Charlie said. “And then they were like, ‘We made it to the Olympics!'””Was a dream when she started reffing, did a lot of international hockey federation tournaments, so it’s been a building block to get here,” Kyla Neary said.Shauna spent four years officiating events like world championships and Olympic qualifiers to reach this point.”For her to make it this far is just amazing,” Neary said. “And to have all these support people to come all the way to Italy is even more amazing.”Charlie says he has a deal with his mom: If she wipes out on the ice, he gets ice cream. Despite the playful promise, Shauna Neary has not yet owed her son any gelato, as she continues to give the Olympics her best effort.Eight of the 12 women’s hockey referees are from either Canada or the U.S. Team USA is set to play Italy in the quarterfinals on Friday, with the gold medal and bronze medal games scheduled for Feb. 17.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

MILAN —

Shauna Neary, one of 12 referees for Olympic women’s ice hockey, is officiating at the Milan Cortina Olympics with the support of her family.

“We’re here for the ref. Proud moment,” said Kyla Neary, Shauna’s sister.

Shauna Neary is not only a referee but also the hockey coach and mom to 8-year-old Charlie.

“When I found out, my mom and my mommy were crying, and I was like,’Why are you crying?'” Charlie said. “And then they were like, ‘We made it to the Olympics!'”

“Was a dream when she started reffing, did a lot of international hockey federation tournaments, so it’s been a building block to get here,” Kyla Neary said.

Shauna spent four years officiating events like world championships and Olympic qualifiers to reach this point.

“For her to make it this far is just amazing,” Neary said. “And to have all these support people to come all the way to Italy is even more amazing.”

Charlie says he has a deal with his mom: If she wipes out on the ice, he gets ice cream.

Despite the playful promise, Shauna Neary has not yet owed her son any gelato, as she continues to give the Olympics her best effort.

Eight of the 12 women’s hockey referees are from either Canada or the U.S. Team USA is set to play Italy in the quarterfinals on Friday, with the gold medal and bronze medal games scheduled for Feb. 17.