After a grueling weeklong U.S. women’s hockey Team Selection Camp up in Lake Placid, the 41 invitees have been whittled to 25, with another four set to be cut in December, just ahead of Sochi.
“One of the guiding principles of what we were doing to pick the team was to look at four essential elements: the technical, tactical, mental, and physical aspects that we were getting from each player,” GM Reagan Carey told reporters Monday.
“That was the priority. Going from there we selected the right 25 to be in this group, and everything else we’ll figure out along the way.”
Three-time Olympian Julie Chu leads a team that includes eleven additional former Olympians, as well as defenseman Jincy Dunne, who at only 16 is the squad’s youngest member. She called it an “honor” to be selected for the team.
“There are a lot of veterans here to show me what to do and how to do it,” Dunne added. “I can’t complain.”
The women’s team has already had an impressive 2013 by beating Canada 3-2 on their home ice in the finals of IIHF World Championships back in April. That was the U.S. team’s fifth title in the last seven quasi-annual world tournaments dating back to 2005. But the U.S. women have failed to earn gold at the Olympics since taking the title at the sport’s inaugural Games in 1998, finishing second to Canada in 2002 and 2010.
Here’s a look at the full squad:
Goaltenders: Brianne McLaughlin, Molly Schaus, Jessie Vetter
Defense: Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek, Lisa Chesson, Jincy Dunne, Gigi Marvin, Michelle Picard, Josephine Pucci, Anne Schleper, Lee Stecklein
Forwards: Kate Buesser, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne, Julie Chu, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan, Lyndsey Fry, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Anne Pankowski, Kelli Stack
