Engstrom Invited To U.S. National Team Camp
December 17, 2003 | Women's Hockey
USA Hockey named Wisconsin junior Molly Engstrom, a defender on the Wisconsin women 's hockey team, to its roster for the 2004 United States Women's National Team Training Camp last week.
The camp, held Dec. 27 through Jan. 1 at the Colorado Springs World Arena, serves as a major step in identifying the 2004 U.S. Women's National Team which will compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 30 ' April 6, 2004.
"It's always exciting to assemble our best athletes in one location, and we are excited to be training in Colorado Springs, directly across the street from the USA Hockey National Office," U.S. women's national team head coach Ben Smith said. "This camp will be one of the important final stages in the selection process for the 2004 U.S. Women's National Team."
Engstrom will join former Badger Kerry Weiland, a member of the 2003 U.S. Women's Select Team, on the 36-player roster, in addition to 18 other members of the Select Team that captured the Four Nations Cup title in Sweden last month. Overall, 10 Olympians will be in attendance as well as an additional 16 players with U.S. Women's National and/or Select Team experience.
A native of Siren, Wis., Engstrom is a two-time participant in the USA Hockey National Women's Festival and played for the 2003 U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team this past July in a three-game series against Canada's U-22 national team. Team USA tied Team Canada in the first game, before the Americans beat their northern neighbors 2-0 and 3-2 for a 2-0-1 record.
Currently tied for second on the team in scoring with three goals and eight assists for 11 points, she has helped lead the Badgers to a 12-4-0 overall record and 8-4-0 mark in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association so far this season.
Now with the first half of the 2003'04 season behind the Badgers, Wisconsin continues its one-month break from the ice until Jan. 10-11 for a series against Northeastern in Long Beach, Calif. The series, hosted by the Huskies, will mark the Badgers first ever trip to California for competition.
Wisconsin returns to league play Saturday, Jan. 17 and Sunday, Jan. 18 when Minnesota-Duluth travels south to Madison. Both games are slated to start at 2:05 p.m. at the Kohl Center and Saturday's contest will be broadcast live on NewsTalk 1310 WIBA by WIBA sports director Brian Posick and former Badger Julia Ortenzio.
A complete schedule of events for the 2004 United States Women 's National Team Training Camp is below. For more information on the camp, please visit the USA Hockey Web site: www.usahockey.com.
