When Team USA needed an experienced goal scorer to give their team an added spark, they looked no further than Brittani Lanzilli.

The Medford native and University of Massachusetts at Amherst hockey star was just what the U.S. Women’s National University Team was looking for as they took on the world at the 2017 Winter World University Games in Almaly, Kazakhstan, Jan. 28-Feb. 8.

It was an experience of a lifetime for the former Mustang power forward.

“Playing for the National University Team was such a surreal experience,” said Lanzilli. “There are absolutely no words to explain the feeling of putting on a USA jersey and representing this country out on the ice. When I received the call that I had made the team, I was at a loss for words, it felt like a dream.”

One of three Massachusetts players to make the 21-member squad, Lanzilli certainly didn’t disappoint, leading the team to a bronze medal at the international showcase.

“We set out for Kazakhstan with one goal in mind: to bring home a medal,” Lanzilli said. “We knew it would be tough.”

When Team USA reached the semifinal round facing off against China in the bronze medal game, they knew what was at stake.

“We had 60 minutes to do our job,” Lanzilli said. “The crowd was crazy that game, so many fans were waving our flag. It was definitely an amazing feeling.

“When the buzzer rang and we won, it was clear to me why I have devoted 17 years to this sport,” she continued. “A moment like this, with a group of unforgettable teammates is what it all comes down to. The hard work finally paid off.”

Lanzilli is certainly no stranger to success or hard work. The former Mustang first joined the high school varsity ranks as a seventh grader, and quickly established herself as a bluechip prospect.

Her many personal milestones with Medford include eclipsing boys hockey legend Shawn Bates all-time scoring mark of 242-points, reaching the 300-point plateau, before becoming the second all-time leading scorer in Massachusetts girls hockey history, capping it off with 312 points.

Now a junior at UMass Amherst, Lanzilli is the reigning ACHA Zoe Harris Player of the Year. She is coming off her best collegiate season to date, leading the nation in goals (49) and points (68) in 2015-16.

“UMass has been great,” said Lanzilli, a history major with a minor in secondary education and Italian. “There is a big Medford presence here. I find comfort in having the best of both worlds here. UMass really has so much to offer, I love the big campus and the big student body because there is always something to do.”

Although she’s skating against world-class competition these days, Lanzilli’s local roots are firmly embedded.

“Wearing the Medford jersey was something I always took huge pride in,” Lanzilli said. “There is nothing like representing your hometown.”

If Lanzilli learned anything from her global trek, it’s to never stop pursuing your dreams.

“You never know what opportunities will fall in front of you,” Lanzilli said. “If you had asked me a few years ago if I ever imagined myself representing the United States, I wouldn’t have believed it. That feeling will never die down, the experience will never be forgotten, and the roars in the crowd chanting USA will never go silent. Never stop working at what you love and continue chasing the dream.”

And if Team USA comes calling, you can bet Lanzilli will be ready to lace them up again.