Cayla Barnes didn’t expect to be here.
After Team USA officials released her before setting the final training roster of the 2018 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team, Barnes was getting ready to settle in to her role at Boston College.
That’s when she got the call. She was going to be invited back to Team USA.
"I was surprised at first," she said. "I didn’t expect that to happen when it did. After I was cut in April, I thought that was the final stage for me."
A defender, Barnes played in five games for the Eagles, going pointless but blocking seven shots and managing a plus-3 rating, before the U.S. staff decided it needed a spark after a few losses to Canada in the Time is Now tour.
At barely 19 years old and standing at 5-foot-2, she is the youngest, and smallest, player on the American roster. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t pack a punch.
Barnes certainly isn’t new to the international scene, scoring in the Four Nations Cup this fall and making her national team debut in 2016. In the Four Nations in November, Barnes scored in an 8-2 win over Finland and notched an assist in a 5-0 win against Sweden.
"It’s obvious she fits right in," said Team USA coach Robb Stauber. "We’re thrilled to have pulled her out of college, and she looks great."
Barnes still didn’t expect to be a part of Team USA after being cut. Barnes was there when Team USA dropped a 5-1 decision to Canada at Agganis Arena in Boston. Three days later, she received a call from the coaching staff. She was heading back.
"It’s really exciting," she said. "I’m excited to be going in a couple of weeks. It’s an honor to represent your country. We’re all really excited to be a part of something bigger than ourselves."
Barnes was a star player in her native California before heading east to play with New Hampton School in New Hampshire. As a senior, she led the Huskies to their first-ever NEPSAC New England Division 1 championship. "I learned how to step into my role as a leader on that team," she said. "That program is a growing program. It was a big step for me, to be my own player and excel to the best of my abilities and perform."
At Chestnut Hill, she didn’t score in her first five games with the Eagles before withdrawing to join Team USA, but BC is excited about her potential at The Heights. Barnes was a part of a freshman class that includes Daryl Watts, the frontrunner for the Patty Kazmaier Award, and the two should be on the ice together plenty next season.
One of three Eagles on the U.S. Olympic roster — Megan Keller and Kali Flanagan (Burlington, Mass.) are the others — Barnes had to get a waiver to withdraw from school and return next season. The Eagles still have her in their plans.
"I love it there," Barnes said. "The coaches there are amazing. They and my teammates supported my decision to come down here. I’m looking forward to going back there."
There’s a lot for Barnes still to learn as the youngest member of the American team and she’s taking every opportunity to learn from the best.
"Some of the girls here are so experienced and have so much under their belt," she said. "It’s nice to be able to talk to them about things and get some perspective on certain situations."
There are challenges more than just on the ice. At 19 years old, and half a semester into college, she’s competing with and against women who have graduated college, or at least are approaching that, and have had much more world experience.
It’s something Barnes is taking in stride. "Just keep growing," she said. "Every time you step on the ice or go to the rink, you have an opportunity to grow mentally and physically. Being able to take that opportunity and make positives every day is my biggest takeaway from this experience."
There’s a saying that young players sometimes perform well in the extreme spotlight because they don’t yet understand the magnitude. But, Barnes does understand that magnitude, and all the while has performed at every level.
In fact, where the spotlight is shining its brightest, Barnes is ready to be a major part of her nation’s team.
All while keeping it in perspective. She summed up her Olympics adventure perfectly: "It’s being a part of something that includes the entire world."
