A slew of Gophers womenâÄôs hockey players are trying to make the cut for Team USA.
Megan Bozek, Anne Schleper, Amanda Kessel and Jen Schoullis, and former Gopher Gigi Marvin are representing the University of Minnesota at the WomenâÄôs Summer Development Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The camp, which began June 11 and will conclude June 17, includes strength and conditioning, on-ice skill development and nutrition training, as well as team-building.
âÄúI think first and foremost it speaks pretty highly of them as players and people, but itâÄôs also great for our program,âÄù Gophers womenâÄôs head coach Brad Frost said.
âÄúWeâÄôve had quite a few ties to the U.S. team over the last number of years. Being able to have some more players representing Team USA at this camp and other things speaks really well to the program.âÄù
Each of the 21 members on the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation WomenâÄôs World Championship gold-medal team were invited back for the camp, as well as five players that were on the preliminary world championship roster.
Sixteen of the aforementioned players were part of the 2010 U.S. Olympic team that lost to Canada in the gold medal game.
Schleper, Schoullis, and Marvin are current members of this yearâÄôs version of Team USA.
âÄúAnytime you get the experience of training and working with some of the best players in the country and the world, itâÄôs only going to benefit [the players working with Team USA] to come back and share that experience with our players âÄî how to train at a very high level, and just how things operate within USA Hockey,âÄù Frost added.
âÄúI think the overall experience that they gain is going to benefit them, but ultimately our team as well.âÄù
Minnesota also has a coach that will be represent Team USA in a different capacity.
Gophers assistant coach Joel Johnson was named as an assistant coach to the U.S.âÄôs Under-18 team for the 2011-12 season.
After coaching at Bethel University for six years, Johnson will be back for his second-straight year as a Minnesota assistant. He was on the Gophers staff from 1999 to 2004 before leaving for Bethel.
