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<p>USA Hockey and the women&#8217;s national team say their marathon meeting Monday was productive and they hope to have an agreement this week that will end their ongoing wage dispute and avoid a boycott of the upcoming world championships.</p><p>The sides met for more than 10 hours Monday in Philadelphia and will continue discussions later this week. Players announced last week they&#8217;d boycott the upcoming world championships in Plymouth, Michigan, unless significant progress was made toward a labor agreement.</p><p>USA Hockey and players released statements Monday night saying they hoped a deal would be reached in time for the tournament, which begins March 31.</p><p>Players said they were hopeful to get an agreement in time to have a training camp and prepare to defend their world championship gold medal on home ice.</p><p>&#8220;We feel like we made progress today,&#8221; star forward Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said by phone. &#8220;They were productive, and we are hopeful that we can come to a timely agreement that would get us to Plymouth in time to prepare as a team so that we could compete in worlds.&#8221;</p><p>Lamoureux-Davidson, twin sister Monique Lamoureux-Morando, captain Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Kacey Bellamy and Kendal Coyne were among the players who took part in the meeting on the players&#8217; side. President Jim Smith, executive director Dave Ogrean, treasurer Donna Guariglia and director of women&#8217;s hockey Reagan Carey were among those representing USA Hockey.</p><p>In its statement, USA Hockey said its goal remains to have the team it selected for the world championships still represent the U.S. later this month.</p><p>Players said negotiations with USA Hockey had been ongoing for 14 months over fair wages and equitable support. The meeting Monday, which Lamoureux-Davidson said lasted from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., was positive in that the sides were in the same room talking on the verge of training camp, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re hopeful, I guess,&#8221; Lamoureux-Davidson said. &#8220;This morning (we thought), &#8216;Wait and see how this goes,&#8217; and after today we&#8217;re all hopeful that we can make something work with USA Hockey. We&#8217;re hopeful, I think, on both sides.&#8221;</p><p>Players are pushing to be paid outside the six-month Olympic period, saying USA Hockey pays them nothing for the other 3&#189; years.</p><p>USA Hockey said it is not in the business of employing athletes and put out a list of players&#8217; financial demands that players referred to as &#8220;patently false.&#8221;</p><p>Despite trading barbs last week, the sides agreed to meet in downtown Philadelphia the morning after the National Women&#8217;s Hockey League final in Boston, which several players took part in. Their lengthy meeting didn&#8217;t produce an agreement, but at least the agreement that talks would continue.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s better than walking out saying, &#8216;This isn&#8217;t going to happen,&#8217;&#8221; Lamoureux-Davidson said. &#8220;But we&#8217;re hopeful, so that&#8217;s a step in the right direction, for sure.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_115631481-2404a40ace66443b98760c67b1cf9e30.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The U.S. women&#8217;s national team says discussions with USA Hockey over an ongoing wage dispute were productive and will continue this week. The team released a statement Monday night, March 20, after a lengthy meeting that included almost 20 players and top executives from USA Hockey. Players announced last week they&#8217;d boycott the upcoming world championships in Plymouth, Michigan, unless significant progress was made toward a labor agreement. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_115631481-2404a40ace66443b98760c67b1cf9e30.jpg</photo0><caption0>The U.S. women&#8217;s national team says discussions with USA Hockey over an ongoing wage dispute were productive and will continue this week. The team released a statement Monday night, March 20, after a lengthy meeting that included almost 20 players and top executives from USA Hockey. Players announced last week they&#8217;d boycott the upcoming world championships in Plymouth, Michigan, unless significant progress was made toward a labor agreement. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By STEPHEN WHYNO</p><p>AP Hockey Writer</p></bylineMeta></div>

Women’s players call negotiations with USA Hockey productive