Schwan Super Rink at National Sports Center hosting USA Hockey Women’s National Festival August 19-24
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release, August 19, 2009
For more information:
Christy Jeffries, USA Hockey
719.538.1169
christyj@usahockey.org
Barclay Kruse, Chief Communications Officer
National Sports Center
763.785.5634 office
763.458.6615 cell
bkruse@mnsports.org
2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Team will be announced Monday at NSC’s Schwan Center
BLAINE, Minn. (August 19, 2009) – The National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine is hosting the USA Hockey Women’s National Festival at the Schwan Super Rink, August 19-24. The Festival serves as a selection camp for the 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Team that will compete in the 10-game, nine-city Qwest Tour that begins Sept. 25 in St. Paul, and leads to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
A total of 41 players have been invited to attend the Festival, including all the players who participated in the Blaine Residency Program, which was based at the National Sports Center last fall and winter. The 41-player roster will be paired to 23 players for the Qwest Tour. The final Olympic roster of 21 players will be announced in mid-December.
The Festival roster includes nine players with Minnesota hometowns:
Natalie Darwitz, forward, Eagan; Rachel Drazen, defense, Orono; Angie Keseley, foreward, St. Louis Park; Gigi Marvin, forward, Warroad; Erica McKenzie, forward, Hastings; Jenny Potter, forward, Edina; Anne Schleper, defense, St. Cloud; Allie Thunstrom, forward, Maplewood; and Megan Van Beusekom, goaltender, Loretto.
Van Beusekom, Darwitz, McKenzie and Potter were members of the USA Hockey Blaine Residency Program at the NSC last year.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will be announced on Monday, Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. at the Grand Hall of the Schwan Center on the NSC campus. All media is encouraged to attend.
Here is the schedule for the Festival and the team announcement:
Wednesday, August 19: White practice, 9 a.m.; Blue practice, 10:30 a.m.; White vs. Blue, 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 20: White vs. Blue, 2 p.m.
Friday, August 21: White practice, 4 p.m.; Blue practice, 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, August 22: White vs. Blue, 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, August 23: White vs. Blue, 2:15 p.m.
Monday, August 24: 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Team Announcement (Grand Hall, Schwan Center), 1 p.m.; Practice, 2:30 p.m.
All practices and games will be held at rink 6 of the Schwan Super Rink. All practices and games are open to the public. The team will be available to the media Aug. 20-24. A media work room will be available at the Schwan Super Rink. Media credentials are required to cover the Festival. Please order credentials from Christy Jeffries at USA Hockey (contact information above.)
USA Hockey Women’s National Festival Media Prospectus:
http://usahockey.cachefly.net/Media/2010Olympics/Women/2009-wnf-prospectus.pdf
Full player roster:
http://usahockey.cachefly.net/Media/2009-wnf-roster.doc
About the National Sports Center:
The National Sports Center (NSC) is a 600-acre multi-sport facility located in Blaine, Minnesota. The campus includes the Schwan Super Rink, an eight-sheet ice arena that is the world’s largest ice facility, a 8,500-seat soccer stadium, the Schwan Center meeting and convention building, a multi-faceted family golf center, the National Youth Golf Center, which features the 18-hole Victory Links course, an indoor Sports Hall with a FieldTurf field, 150-bed residence hall and 52 soccer fields. The facility hosts nearly 300 events annually, and has welcomed approximately 32 million visitors since its opening. The NSC generates over $37 million in annual out-of-state economic impact.
NSCtv:
NSCtv is the behind-the-scenes- weekly video show highlighting the events, programs, athletes and people of the National Sports Center. A new show is posted every Thursday, and the previous three editions can also be viewed on an archived basis. NSCtv can be accessed by clicking on the “NSCtv” link on the home page of www.nscsports.org.
# # #