Members of the U.S. women's hockey team celebrate with the championship trophy after a 3-2 overtime win against Canada at the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship at USA Hockey Arena on April 7, 2017 in Plymouth, Mich.
After six grueling days of testing and training, 42 women’s ice hockey players have been whittled down and only 23 remain.
With the conclusion of the National Team Selection Camp, USA Hockey has announced the roster of the 2017-18 U.S. Women's National Team. Beginning in September, the team will live, train and compete together in the build-up to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
The U.S. women's hockey team has medaled at every Olympics since women's hockey's debut in 1998, but has not won gold since that inaugural tournament. With the exception of bronze in 2006, the U.S. women have won silver at every other Games. But Team USA is riding an unprecedented high after winning its fourth consecutive world title in April and is in prime position to break its silver streak in PyeongChang.
The selection camp was held from April 30-May 4 at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, Florida, and consisted of daily practices, off-ice testing and intrasquad scrimmages. The national team will remain in Florida for an additional three days of training and will return to Wesley Chapel for its residence program in September.
Anchoring Team USA in net are Alex Rigsby, Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney. All three figure to make their Olympic debuts in PyeongChang. Rigsby, the final goalie cut from the team before the 2014 Olympics, has played for Team USA at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 world championships. Hensley debuted with the national team in 2016 and dazzled at the 2017 world championships, earning two shutouts in three starts and a tournament-high 96.43 save percentage. Rooney made her national team debut at the 2017 world championships, earning a shutout against Russia.
Hilary Knight, Meghan Duggan and Kacey Bellamy are on the national team roster for the team-leading 11th time; their careers include two Olympic silver medals and seven world championship golds. For the ninth time, the roster includes a set of twin sisters in Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson.
The roster is stacked with Olympic veterans, including 12 members of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team, and 21 members of the 2017 world championship team. Gigi Marvin joins Knight, Dugghan, Bellamy and the Lamoureuxs in pursuit of their third Olympic medal in as many Games. Brianna Decker, Megan Bozek, Lee Stecklein, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne and Amanda Kessel figure to make their second Olympic appearances. On track to be named to their first Olympic team, in addition to Rigsby, Hensley and Rooney, are defensemen Kali Flanagan, Megan Keller and Emily Pfalzer, and forwards Hannah Brandt, Dani Camaranesi, Annie Pankowski, Kelly Pannek and Amanda Pelkey.
The team will be lead by head coach Robb Stauber, who took over the position last fall and guided the team to its 2017 world title. Stauber was an assistant coach in 2014 and has been with the U.S. women's program since 2010.
Roster
Goaltenders (3)
Nicole Hensley (Lakewood, Colo.)
Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.)
Maddie Rooney (Andover, Minn.)
Defensemen (8)
Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.)
Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.)
Kali Flanagan (Burlington, Mass.)
Megan Keller (Farmington, Mich.)
Monique Lamoureux-Morando (Grand Forks, N.D.)
Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.)
Emily Pfalzer (Getzville, N.Y.)
Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.)
Forwards (12)
Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.)
Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn.)
Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.)
Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.)
Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.)
Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.)
Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.)
Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho)
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (Grand Forks, N.D.)
Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.)
Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn.)
Amanda Pelkey (Montpelier, Vt.)
