Sara DeCosta-Hayes was a goalie on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey team that captured gold in the first-ever women's ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Inducted with her team into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, she was in net for three Team USA victories, including one shutout, posting a 1.59 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage.

The USA Hockey Women’s Player of the Year in 2000 and 2002, DeCosta-Hayes was also a member of the U.S. team that took silver at the 2002 Winter Games, where she owned the best goals-against average (1.01) and save percentage (.948), recording 26 saves in Team USA’s 3-2 loss to Canada in the title game.

The Warwick, RI native had already made history six years earlier when in 1992 she became the first girl to play in the R.I. Interscholastic League Championship Division as a member of the Toll Gate High School boys hockey team. Twice named her team's MVP (1995 and 1996), the All-Stater’s outstanding play in net helped Toll Gate become the first public school in 14 years to reach the best-of-three title round, when the Titans faced perennial power Mount St. Charles Academy for the 1996 RIIL State Championship.

Also a two-time All-Stater in softball, DeCosta-Hayes helped Toll Gate capture the 1995 and 1996 Division I Slow-pitch Championships. She was also an All-City selection in soccer.

In 2009, she co-founded a statewide girls hockey league, the Rhode Island Sting, with Olympic teammate, Vicki Movsessian Lamoriello. #TitleIXat50