Two current University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players -- sophomores Haley Irwin and Jocelyne Larocque -- will centralize for the 2009-2010 season in Calgary next August with the Canadian National Team ahead of the 2010 Olympics.

The two players, who will return to the Bulldogs' squad for the 2010-2011 season, were both members of Canada's U-22 Team. Irwin, a forward and native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has also been named to the roster for the upcoming 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship, which will be held in Hameenlinna, Finland begining April 4. It will mark Irwin's first skate on the senior Canadian National Team

Irwin and Larocque, a defenseman who currently leads the NCAA in scoring from the blueline, and who suited up for Team Canada this past fall in the Four Nations Cup, will join UMD alum and former assistant coach Caroline Ouellette in Calagary as Canada prepares to defend its 2006 Gold Medal on home soil.

Six other current Bulldogs -- junior forward Elin Holmlov, junior netminder Kim Martin, junior forward Saara Tuominen , junior forward Heidi Pelttari, freshman forward Pernilla Winberg and freshman backliner Jenni Asserholt, will join their respective national teams after the Frozen Four this weekend in preparation for the World Championships. Holmlov, Martin, Winberg and Asserholt will dress for Team Sweden and join Bulldog alums Maria Rooth and Erika Holst, while Tuominen and Pelttari will suit for Team Finland.

Former Bulldogs Jessica Koizumi and Jenny Potter, as well as former assistant coach Julie Chu, have been named to Team USA's preliminary roster ahead of the World Championships. USA Hockey will make the final cut from 32 players to 21 by March 26.