Projo Sports Blog

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) -- Only six former Olympians were picked Monday for the 23-player touring U.S. women's hockey team that will tune up for the Vancouver Games throughout the fall and winter. Two more cuts will be made before the announcement in mid-December of the final Olympic roster.

Chanda Gunn, the goalie in Turin, was left off the touring team, as were her 2006 Olympic teammates Helen Resor and Sarah Parsons.

Coach Mark Johnson and USA Hockey chose from a pool of 41 players at last weekend's tryout camp in Blaine, where postgraduate players participated in a residency program over the past year.

Angela Ruggiero, the former Harvard star who hails from Simi Valley, Calif., and forward Jenny Potter, of Edina, Minn., were the only three-time Olympians on the list. Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) and Julie Chu (Fairfield, Ct.) each played in the 2002 and 2006 games. Defensemen Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Ct.) and Molly Engstrom (Siren, Wis.) also went to Turin.

The touring team includes eight who played for Johnson at the University of Wisconsin: Engstrom, goalie Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.), defenseman Kerry Weiland (Palmer, Alaska) and forwards Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Angie Keseley (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.), Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.) and Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej (Eagle River, Wis.).

Also on the list: goalies Brianne McLaughlin (Sheffield Village, Ohio) and Molly Schaus (Natick, Mass.); defenseman Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), Lisa Chesson (Plainfield, Ill.) and Rachael Drazan (Orono, Minn.); and forwards Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux (twins from Grand Forks, N.D.), Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.), Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio) and Karen Thatcher (Blaine, Wash.).

Thatcher, who is from Blaine, Wash., is a 2006 graduate of Providence College.

While at PC, Thatcher finished her record-breaking career with 167 points in 132 games as she had a hand in PC's Hockey East Tournament titles in 2004 and 2005.

Thatcher ranks 10th in career points at Providence.

A top-10 Patty Kazmaier Finalist, Thatcher led the team in scoring for the second straight time in 2005 with 47 points.

She earned the Hockey East Sportsmanship award three-consecutive seasons as well as All-Academic honors. Thatcher was named a second-team All-American, a Hockey East All-Star, New England Hockey Writers All-Star and Providence College Athlete of the Year in her final season with the Friars.

 Tags  Providence College

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