COLORADO SPRINGS, USA – USA Hockey announced the 21 players who make up its U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship, which runs from April 16-25 in Zurich and Winterthur, Switzerland. Team USA will be looking to defend its back-to-back world titles from 2008 and 2009.
The U.S. squad was chosen following a 30-player selection camp that took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, starting on April 4, and included a pair of games against Canada’s National Women’s Team. The U.S. will continue to train in Ann Arbor until departing on Tuesday (April 12) for Switzerland.
The roster includes 14 who won gold in the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Championship.
“We had some extremely difficult decisions to make after a great week of training and competition in Ann Arbor,” said Reagan Carey, director of women’s hockey for USA Hockey. “During our winter training camp, we challenged the players to find ways to improve, and now we’ve been able to see the results of them embracing that challenge. Our staff and players are raising the bar of expectations for this program and their determination is evident across the board. We’re confident that the team continuing on to Zurich will well-represent our standard of excellence.”
“We’re excited about this group,” said Katey Stone, head coach for Team USA and also the head women’s ice hockey coach at Harvard University. “It has a little bit of everything – experience, youth and players with a lot of fire. I’m anxious to see what we’re capable of at the world championship.”
The American roster is made up of three goaltenders, six defensemen and 12 forwards. There are a total of 15 Olympians on the squad, including four-timers Jenny Potter and Angela Ruggiero, who are among a total of 14 who earned the world title with Team USA in 2009.
Fifteen return from the U.S. Women’s National Team that competed in the 2010 Women’s Four Nations Cup last November, while two forwards – Jen Schoullis and Kelley Steadman – are making their National Team debuts at the senior level. An additional five players will be playing in their first IIHF World Women’s Championship, including goaltender Brianne McLaughlin, defensemen Josephine Pucci and Anne Schleper, and forwards Kendall Coyne and Brianna Decker.
Further, 11 members of Team USA played NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey during the 2010-11 season, while eight played in either the Canadian Women’s Hockey League or the Western Women’s Hockey League and one played in prep school.
At the last IIHF World Women’s Championship, which took place in Hämeenlinna, Finland, in 2009, the U.S. defeated Canada, 4-1, in the gold-medal game to earn its second straight world title. Top-seeded Team USA opens play in Zurich against Slovakia on April 17.
Team USA roster
Goalkeepers:
Brianne McLaughlin, Burlington Barracudas
Molly Schaus, Boston College
Jessie Vetter, no club team
Defencemen:
Kacey Bellamy, Boston Blades
Caitlin Cahow, Boston Blades
Molly Engstrom, Brampton Thunder
Josephine Pucci, Harvard University
Angella Ruggiero, Boston Blades
Anne Schleper, University of Minnesota
Forwards:
Julie Chu, Montreal Stars
Kendall Coyne, Berkshire School
Brianna Decker, University of Wisconsin
Meghan Duggan, University of Wisconsin
Hilary Knight, University of Wisconsin
Jocelyne Lamoureux, University of North Dakota
Monique Lamoureux-Kolls, University of North Dakota
Gigi Marvin, Minnesota Whitecaps
Jenny Potter, Minnesota Whitecaps
Jen Schoullis, University of Minnesota
Kelli Stack, Boston College
Kelley Steadman, Mercyhurst College |
