If you’ve heard the name Jincy Dunne, you’re unlikely to forget it.

Dunne was named to the 25-player US Olympic roster in Sochi (though she did not make the final 21-player roster).

Most recently however Dunne captained the U-18 US Women’s team to their first World Championship victory over Canada since the 2011 series. More than that, Dunne scored the game-winning goal herself.

In an interview with Dan Scifo for USA Hockey, U-18 Women’s team coach Jeff Kampersal called Dunne “the next best U.S. hockey player.” Kampersol went on to acclaim Dunne’s play, saying, “she’s incredibly talented, she has a great skill set and she can control a whole game.”

More than that, though, Kampersal credited Dunne’s comportment.

“She’s unbelievably humble,” Kampersal said. “I think at this point she knows she’s a great player, but just talking to her you would never know that. And even as her accomplishments get bigger and she gets a crack at the big club, she’s still as humble as ever.”

In recognition of her accomplishments, Dunne was asked to conduct the ceremonial puck drop between Red Wings captain Pavel Datsyuk and Blues captain David Backes at the Scottrade center before Thursday night’s game.

Dunne evidenced her humble side in an interview with FOX Sports Midwest’s rinkside correspondent Andy Strickland in between periods. “It was a team effort,” Dunne said, “and by team I mean teammates, coaches [and] staff. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

What Does Dunne’s Future Hold?

Whether Dunne likes it or not, she is now another spokeswoman for high-level women’s hockey. Her performance has landed her a place on the national stage, and we will likely see her continue to grow her game and contribute on an elite level.

Dunne is headed to the Ohio State University come fall, and with luck in four years we will see her drafted to a CWHL team that can afford to pay her. There are few leagues where women are welcome and the CWHL continues to be our highest-level women players’ best hope to continue to play competitively after college.

The CWHL is slowly but steadily expanding, thanks to some co-sponsorships from their brother NHL teams (the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens have paired, to differing extents, with the Toronto Furies and the Montreal Stars). While they are not yet at a place where they can employ their players, they are on track and budget.

“We are on our target for getting the players paid down the road, and that’s the great news,” Commissioner Brenda Andress said in a recent article by Matt Larkin of The Hockey News. The league is still struggling to find fans and exposure while operating on a budget of a million and a half dollars per year.

With each press opportunity, however, comes the opportunity for more fans for the league and for women’s sports in general. Dunne’s puck drop may be a drop in the bucket (pun intended), but as a newly-minted women’s sports spokeswoman, every appearance counts.