Two players from the University of Minnesota-Duluth women's hockey team have been selected to the 2003 United States Women's Select Team, USA Hockey announced today. Senior forward Jenny Potter (Eagan, Minn.) will be joined by junior defender Julianne Vasicheck (Great Falls, Mont.). The team is being assembled to compete ion the Four Nation's Cup in Skövde, Sweden November 5-9.
Jenny Potter finished the 2002-2003 season as one of the premier women's hockey players in the NCAA. In 36 game she compiled 31 goals and 57 assists for 88 points and was a finalist for the Patty Katzmaier award while helping UMD to its third-straight National Championship.
Potter's roots run deep with USA Hockey. The two-time Olympian most recently spent the 2001-2002 away from the collegiate ranks preparing for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah where she helped led the Team USA to a silver medal. She has competed on two World Championship teams for the US (1999, 2000) and was named MVP of the 1999 World Championships. Potter also played for the US National team in the Three Nations Cup in Finland. Won a gold medal as a member of Team USA i the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Vasichek is making her first appearance on the U.S. Select Team but also has a history with USA Hockey. She was selected for the Junior Development National Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. in 1998, 1999, and 2000. In 2002, she also attended the U-22 National Team Camp. Last season she helped the Bulldogs to their third straight NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship by appearing in the Bulldogs' corps of blueline players in all 36 games while adding 15 assists.
The Four Nations Cup, previously known as the Three Nations Cup, is a round-robin tournament that has been held seven times (1996-2002). Canada, Finland and the United States competed until 2000, when Sweden also joined the field. The U.S. has competed every year except for 2001 and earned the title in 1997. Canada defeated Team USA, 4-2, in last year's championship
game.
2003 Four Nations Cup Competition Schedule
Nov. 5-9, Skövde, Sweden
Date   Game              Time (EST) Location
Nov. 5  USA vs. Finland    1:00 p.m. Skövde
       Sweden vs. Canada  1:00 p.m. Skara
Nov. 6  Canada vs. USA     1:00 p.m. Skövde
       Sweden vs. Finland 1:00 p.m. Tibro
Nov. 7  Off Day
Nov. 8  Finland vs. Canada 7:00 a.m.  Skövde
       USA vs. Sweden    11:00 a.m. Skövde
Nov. 9  Bronze-Medal Game  7:00 a.m. Skövde
       Gold-Medal Game   11:00 a.m. Skövde
The UMD women's hockey team is getting ready to kick off their season. The team has its first practice on Sept. 22. Media is invited to attend from 3:30p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the DECC. The team kicks off its season with a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association games versus Minnesota State University-Mankato Oct. 10-11 in Mankato, Minn. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m at the Midwest Wirless Center.
