U.S. Women’s National Team Roster Announced

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced the 21-player roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team, which will seek to defend its world title at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship from April 4-12 in Hameenlinna, Finland.

The U.S. squad was selected following a 32-player tryout camp held at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. Team USA will train in Lake Placid until departing on Monday (March 30) for Finland.

The United States roster is filled with three goaltenders, seven defensemen and 11 forwards. A total of 18 of the players have previously competed in an IIHF World Women's Championship, all having been gold-medal winners in either 2005 or 2008. Sixteen of the 20 members of the world champion 2008 U.S. Women's National Team return to the 2009 tournament.

In addition, 11 members of Team USA played NCAA Division I women's ice hockey during the 2008-09 season, while the remaining 10 were on the 2008-09 U.S. Women's Select Team, part of a residency program set up by USA Hockey in Blaine, Minn. Of the 11 NCAA players, 10 participated in the 2009 NCAA tournament, while seven advanced to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four last weekend in Boston, and four captured the national title last Sunday (March 22) as part of Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson's University of Wisconsin team.

Roster Highlights

• 7 Olympians
• 18 World Champions
• 16 returnees from the 2008 U.S. Women's National Team
• 17 members of the 2008 Four Nations Cup championship team
• 10 members of the 2008-09 U.S. Women's Select Team
• 8 Western Women's Hockey League players
• 11 NCAA Division I players
• 7 NCAA national champions
• 10 participants in the 2009 NCAA tournament
• 7 participants in the 2009 NCAA Women's Frozen Four
• 4 winners of the 2009 NCAA National Championship
• 3 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipients
  
  
  

At last year's IIHF World Women's Championship in Harbin, China, the U.S. beat Canada (which had not lost in 29 games) an unprecedented two times, including by a 4-3 count in the gold-medal game. In addition to the two wins over Canada, Team USA earned preliminary-round victories over Switzerland and Germany and outscored opponents by a 23-8 margin.

Team USA will spend March 31-April 2 in Vierumaki, Finland, and will play a pre-tournament game against Sweden on April 2. The team will then travel to Hameenlinna to open world-championship play against Japan on April 4.

NOTES: Click here for the full roster ... Coverage of the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship can be found on USAHockey.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and on USA Hockey's Twitter page ... Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H./University of Wisconsin) is the youngest player on the roster at 19 years old. She is nine days younger than Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D./University of Minnesota), who are twin sisters ... Defenseman Lisa Chesson (Plainfield, Ohio/2008-09 U.S. Women's Select Team) and both of the Lamoureux twins will be making their first appearances in an IIHF World Women's Championship, however, all three have competed for Team USA at the Four Nations Cup ... Team USA has won two gold medals and nine silver medals in the 11 previous IIHF World Women’s Championships. The U.S. has won two of the last three world championships (2005, 2008) … Mark Johnson, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin, will serve as the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. He will lead Team USA through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Joining Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches at the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship are Dave Flint, head women’s ice hockey coach at Northeastern University, and Jodi McKenna, head women’s ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University.

Team USA 2009 IIHF World Women’s Championship Schedule


April 4-12 • Hameenlinna, Finland