The Lamoureaux twins rocketed to national fame in the 2018 Winter Olympics when they scored the decisive goals in the championship game against the archrival Canadian women’s hockey team.
Monique scored the game-tying goal, followed by Jocelyne’s shootout goal to clinch the gold medal in a dramatic victory that a Hollywood screenwriter could have scripted.
It was a triumph that began decades earlier on frozen English Coulee in Grand Forks, where the sisters played hockey with their four older brothers. The Lamoureaux twins held their own playing with boys in squirt and peewee leagues, then won scholarships to skate for Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minn., where they were standout all-state players.
After a short stint at the University of Minnesota, they transferred to hometown University of North Dakota, where they finished their collegiate careers, following a family tradition begun by their father, who was a backup goalie for the Fighting Sioux.
And now, inevitably, their storied careers at the apex of women’s hockey have come to an end. The sisters, who still live in Grand Forks, announced this week that they were retiring after 14 years with USA Hockey. They will make an encore of sorts by serving on the committee that is negotiating a new contract for women’s hockey, continuing advocacy work the sisters have long done in their fight for better pay and benefits.
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The time has come for the sisters, who are 31, to hang up their skates. Monique is expecting the birth of her second child. The sisters will be promoting their new book, “Dare to Make History: Chasing a Dream and Fighting for Equity.”
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As the title reveals, the book tells the story not only of their fortitude in shattering gender stereotypes by playing what traditionally was a male sport, but also their grit in fighting for gender equality.
They’ve made North Dakota proud. They're the state's only Olympic gold medalists.
They not only rank among the state’s top athletes — taking their rightful place among the likes of Roger Maris, Darin Erstad and Carson Wentz — but are also inspiring role models for girls and women everywhere.
The Lamoureaux sisters have shown what girls and women can accomplish when they are determined to succeed in their chosen field of endeavor. They’ve also found the time to do good works, establishing a charity to help disadvantaged youth.
The twins’ focus now turns to their work in bettering women’s hockey. The fight for equity goes on. Wherever they go, whatever they do, they are role models and ambassadors for North Dakota.
Their lives are a testament to the inspiring fact that big dreams can take root on small frozen ponds.
