Four Badgers Earn U.S. Four Nations Spots
October 16, 2007 | Women's Hockey
Four current Badgers and two former Badgers are among the 22 players that will play for the U.S. Women's Select Team at the Women's Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden, from Nov. 7-11, USA Hockey announced today.
Current Badgers Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.), Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.) and Jinelle Zaugg (Eagle River, Wis.) will be joined on the squad by former Badgers Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland.
Eight Olympians are among the remaining players, including three-time Olympian Jenny Potter and two-timers Julie Chu and Natalie Darwitz.
In addition, Potter, Chu and Darwitz are among 14 returnees from the 2007 U.S. Women 's National Team that captured the silver medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Manitoba.
'I think we have a very good mix of experience and youth on the team with good, strong leadership,' said Jackie Barto, head coach for Team USA and also head women 's ice hockey coach at Ohio State. 'I'm excited about the team we're taking over to Sweden and look forward to the opportunity to see them play against great competition from Canada, Sweden and Finland.'
'The Women's National Festival and Under-22 Series provided a strong starting point to the 2007-08 season,' said Michele Amidon, director of women 's hockey operations for USA Hockey. 'Our core group of players is gaining more experience with each event and the Four Nations Cup will be a great start to an exciting year of competition.'
In total, the eight-member defensive corps includes four Olympians ' Caitlin Cahow, Chu, Engstrom and Helen Resor. In addition, Cahow, Chu, Engstrom, Resor and Weiland all competed for Team USA at the 2007 IIHF World Women's Championship last April.
Of Team USA's 12 forwards, four are Olympic veterans, including Darwitz, Kristin King, Sarah Parsons and Potter. Meanwhile, in addition to the aforementioned quartet, Duggan, Lawler, Gigi Marvin and Zaugg return from the 2007 U.S. Women's National Team.
In net, the United States boasts Vetter and Megan Van Beusekom, both of whom have experience in World Championships, but have yet to play in a Four Nations event.
Team USA will open competition at the Women's Four Nations Cup on Wednesday, Nov. 7, when it takes on host Sweden.
NOTES: USA Hockey will hold a training camp for non-collegiate players at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube (home to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program) from Oct. 28 ' Nov. 3 ' The United States has earned either the gold or silver medal in each of the 10 years it has competed in the Four Nations Cup (Three Nations Cup from 1996-99), including silver medals in the last three years (2004-06) ' Joining Jackie Barto on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Paul Flanagan, head women's ice hockey coach at St. Lawrence University, and Kevin Houle, head women's ice hockey coach at SUNY Plattsburgh.
