December 17, 2009
Click here for the full roster
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Among the 21 players named to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team here today at Mall of America® are six Olympic veterans, including Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) and Angela Ruggiero (Simi Valley, Calif.), who will both be playing in their fourth Games in Vancouver.
The U.S. team, which includes three goaltenders, six defensemen and 12 forwards, will continue competing in the Qwest Tour until departing for the Olympics on Feb. 7. The opening ceremonies are slated for Feb. 12, with Team USA's first game taking place on Feb. 14 against China.
The team was selected from the 23 players who made up the 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team. The group has been training in Blaine, Minn., at the National Sports Center's Schwan Super Rink since early September, in addition to competing on the Qwest Tour and in two international tournaments.
"It's an exciting day for a lot of reasons," said Mark Johnson, head coach for Team USA. "It was an extremely tough decision, but now we can move forward and continue preparing ourselves. We feel good about the process, which gave everyone an opportunity. We're excited by the youthfulness of our team, as well as comfortable with the veterans and the leadership they will provide."
"We have 57 days to go before the opening ceremonies of the Olympics," said Michele Amidon, general manager for Team USA. "We're enthusiastic and confident that we have the best 21 players to help us achieve our goal of winning the gold medal."
The four additional players with Olympic experience on the U.S. roster are two-time Olympians Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) and Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.), as well as 2006 Olympians Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Conn.) and Molly Engstrom (Siren, Wis.). Of the 21 players, all but one have competed in an International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship, including 19 who captured a gold medal last April to propel the United States to the No. 1 ranking in the world.
Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.) is the youngest U.S. player at 20 years old, thus marking the first time that a U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team will not include a teenager at the Games. Knight, who currently leads the National Team with 21 points (9-12) in 16 games, is just nine days younger than Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), who will become the first set of twins ever to play hockey in the Olympics.
Roster Highlights
- 6 Olympians
- 19 World Champions
- 19 returnees from the 2009 U.S. Women's National Team
- 10 members of the 2008-09 U.S. Women's Select Team
- 8 players who have competed in the Western Women's Hockey League
- 11 NCAA Division I players (2008-09)
- 10 participants in the 2009 NCAA tournament
- 9 NCAA national champions
- 7 participants in the 2009 NCAA Women's Frozen Four
- 4 winners of the 2009 NCAA National Championship
- 3 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipients
After a holiday break, the U.S. squad will play in five more Qwest Tour games, including in St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 30; Hamden, Conn., on Jan. 3; Madison, Wis., on Jan. 5; and Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 4. The Dec. 30 game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., marks the first time the U.S. will play after the team announcement. It will also be the last time the U.S. and Canada face off in the United States before the Olympics. For Qwest Tour tickets and information, visit QwestTour.com.
NOTES: A media teleconference with Michele Amidon, Mark Johnson, Angela Ruggiero and Jocelyne Lamoureux will take place tomorrow (Dec. 18) at 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. EST). Media wishing to join the call must dial 800-311-9410 and use the passcode TEAM USA. There is no media availability prior to the teleconference ... The selection of the U.S. Olympic Women's Team is subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee’s Games Preparation Division ... Captains will be named at a later date ... Click here for the full roster ... The U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team has medaled in all three Olympic appearances to date (gold-1998, silver-2002, bronze-2006) ... Joining Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Dave Flint, head women’s ice hockey coach at Northeastern University, and Jodi McKenna, head women’s ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University ... Coverage of the Qwest Tour can be found on QwestTour.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and on the Qwest Tour Twitter page. |