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After a long period of consideration, it was in February this year when the 22-player roster for the US Women’s National University Team that would compete in the Krasnoyarsk, Russia-based 2019 Winter World University Games from March 1-9 was unveiled. The roster was revealed by USA Hockey on February 8, according to local media sources.
Speaking more about the developments at the time, head coach of the US Women’s National Team Shelley Looney (Buffalo, NY) noted that she was eager to travel to Russia and get to work with the talented team. She added that the team’s coaches spotted many positive aspects of the team that was selected, and that they were very excited to get onto the ice and make America proud.
The complete roster for 2019 has included seven defenders, 13 forwards, and two goaltenders. It is composed of hockey players who competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and American Collegiate Hockey Association prior to their selection to ensure that only the best of America’s talent gets the green light.
Four Returnees in 2019’s Roster
This year’s roster was helmed by four returning players from the 2017 National University Team; Britt Levasseur of Adrian College, Kathleen Ash of the University of Colorado, Maddie Wolsmann of Michigan State University, and blueliner Kelsey Jaeckle, who also hails from MSU and is the current reigning ACHA Zoe Harris Player of the Year award recipient.
Wolsmann, who was a first-team All-American hockey star last season, appeared in 22 action filled games with Michigan State, performing well to score 26 goals and add 37 assists for a total of 63 points for her team. In Team USA, she was joined by newbie Lauren McDonald of Liberty University – a second-team All-American last season who managed to scoop points in her 22 Liberty games. Naturally, by the time this team of formidable players had hit the rink, players from the US were already placing their bets, and even their neighbours across the border were enjoying apuestas deportivas en Mexico to see if they could cash in on an all-American victory.
Nine US States Represented
A total of nine different US states are currently represented on the nation’s ice hockey roster. Michigan is leading the way in the sport at the present with no less than seven representatives, while Minnesota and Illinois each have three. The 22 selected players also hail from 11 different colleges and universities, with Liberty University and Adrian College tied with four reps on either side.
Team USA kicked off the 2019 Winter World University Games in Russia with a game against Japan on Friday, March 1 at 12:30 am ET. Colorado’s Katie Holmgren, USA Hockey’s director of program services, served as the 2019 US Women’s National University Team this year, while Looney returned as the head coach of Team USA for the second consecutive tournament alongside Scott Hicks (Richmond, IN) and Brett Berger (Springfield, NJ).
This year marked the fifth consecutive time that the US fielded a women’s hockey team at the WWUG, which ended in the local heroines scooping fourth place overall and entry into the upcoming 2021 Winter Games. The team is now adamant that they will achieve a top-three position in the next WWUG edition after being narrowly defeated by Japan 1-2 in the semi-finals this year.
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URL: http://www.whockey.com/news/2019/USNationalUnivRoster.html