BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Olympic veterans Jenny Potter, Katie
King, Tricia Dunn-Luoma and Angela Ruggiero were selected Tuesday
for the U.S. women's hockey team that will compete at the Turin
Games.
The four players will be competing in their third Olympics.
Krissy Wendell, a silver medalist in 2002, will captain the
20-player squad coached by Ben Smith.
"We have had an arduous four months where we've been tested
under fire and we're looking forward to bringing this group of 20
athletes together to make the final push," Smith said.
Also chosen by USA Hockey were 2002 Olympic forwards Julie Chu
and Natalie Darwitz. Kathleen Kauth, Kristin King, Kim Insalaco,
Sarah Parsons and Kelly Stephens will make their Olympic debuts.
On defense, the squad has three returning Olympians in Ruggiero,
Courtney Kennedy and Lyndsay Wall. Helen Resor, Caitlin Cahow,
Jamie Hagerman and Molly Engstrom will play in their first games.
Also new to the Olympics are goaltenders Chanda Gunn and Pam
Dreyer.
Seventeen of the 20 players on the roster were on the gold
medalist U.S. team at the 2005 women's world championship in April.
The roster includes five current or former Minnesota Gophers:
Wendell, of Brooklyn Park; Darwitz, of Eagan; Stephens, of Seattle;
Kennedy, of Woburn, Mass.; and Lyndsay Wall, of Churchville, N.Y.
Potter, of Edina, plays for Minnesota Duluth. Dunn-Luoma is a
New Hampshire native who moved to Minnesota this year after
marrying Coleraine native Todd Luoma.
The U.S. women play Canada in an exhibition on Friday in St.
Paul.