Stocking up on young guns: Team USA’s World Championship Roster

A crop of NCAA players return to Team USA’s roster after the Rivalry Series

Team USA just released their roster for the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championships in Finland. Several players from the Rivalry Series roster have been swapped out for NCAA players who couldn’t make the trip in the midst of their college seasons.

The returning NCAA players include Patty Kazmaier top-3 finalists defender Megan Keller (Boston College) and forward Annie Pankowski (Wisconsin). Also returning are defender Cayla Barnes (Boston College), forwards Kelly Pannek (Minnesota), Melissa Samoskevich (Quinnipiac), Sydney Brodt (Minnesota-Duluth) and goaltenders Emma Polusny (St. Cloud State) and Maddie Rooney (Minnesota-Duluth). Forward Jesse Compher (Boston University) will join the senior team for her first tournament.

All the other players on the roster played during the Rivalry Series, including Shelly Picard (Metropolitan Riveters) and Hayley Scamurra (Buffalo Beauts). Fourteen of the players on the 2019 Women’s World Championship roster are also Olympic Gold medalists. The players who won gold in Pyeongchang who are not on this Worlds roster are: Gigi Marvin, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Haley Skarupa, Amanda Pelkey, Sidney Morin, Kali Flanagan, Nicole Hensley, and former team captain Meghan Duggan.

Team USA’s full roster for the 2019 Women’s World Championship is listed below.

Forwards: Hannah Brandt, Sydney Brodt, Dani Cameranesi, Alex Carpenter, Jesse Compher, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Annie Pankowski, Kelly Pannek, Melissa Samoskevich, Hayley Scamurra

Defenders: Cayla Barnes, Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek, Megan Keller, Emily Pfalzer, Shelly Picard, Lee Stecklein

Goaltenders: Alex Rigsby, Maddie Rooney, Emma Polusny

The tournament will take place April 4th through April 14th in Espoo, Finland. Team USA has won eight titles, second only to Team Canada, who has won ten.