BURLINGTON, USA – The University of Vermont and the city of Burlington have been selected to host the 2012 IIHF World Women's Championship, as announced today by USA Hockey.

The Gutterson Fieldhouse – home to the University of Vermont men's and women's NCAA Division I ice hockey programs – will serve as the primary venue and will host all U.S. and Canada games, as well as the playoff and medal rounds.

Meanwhile, Cairns Arena, also located in Burlington, will serve as the secondary facility for the event. The eight-nation tournament, which will tentatively run from April 7-14, 2012, includes 22 games and features the top female hockey players in the world.

"We're fully confident that the eagerness and commitment shown by the University of Vermont and city of Burlington to host the IIHF World Women's Championship will translate into an exceptional experience for the players and fans from around the world," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey.

"It will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those in the New England region to see the best women's players in the world up-close and in person," said Robert Corran, associate vice president and director of athletics for UVM.

The United States has earned gold medals in three of the last four world championships (2005, 2008 and 2009). The Gold Medal game has featured the U.S. and Canada every year of the tournament dating back to its inception in 1990.

Coming off back-to-back gold medals at the most recent world championships in 2008 and 2009 (the IIHF World Women's Championship was not held in 2010 due to the Olympic Winter Games), the U.S. will play for a third straight title at the 2011 IIHF World Women's Championship from April 16-25 in Zurich and Winterthur, Switzerland.

A schedule and ticket packages for the 2012 IIHF World Women's Championship will be available in May. For more information, visit USAHockey.com.

NOTES:

• Burlington, Vermont, was selected from a pool of finalists that also included Minneapolis; Rochester, N.Y.; and Hartford, Conn.
• In 2012, the IIHF World Women's Championship will be held in the U.S. for the third time in its 12-year history. Previously, Lake Placid, N.Y., put on the World Women's Championship in 1994, followed by Minneapolis in 2001. The United States will be looking to secure its first IIHF Women's World Championship title on home soil.