The roster features seven players who helped the 2015 U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team earn a gold medal on home soil at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship in Buffalo, New York.
They are Cayla Barnes, Grace Bowlby, Rebecca Gilmore, Patricia Marshall, Presley Norby, Natalie Snodgrass and Alex Woken. Norby also helped the U.S. Women's National Team win the Four Nations Cup earlier this month. Nineteen players on the roster also participated in the 2015 Under-18 Series vs. Canada in August.
The 22 players represent seven different states. Minnesota leads the pack with 16 representatives, followed by California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Washington with one each.
The team will be coached by Joel Johnson, associate head coach of the University of Minnesota women's ice hockey team. Joining him as assistant coaches are Katie Lachapelle, assistant women's ice hockey coach at Boston University, Maura Crowell, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Lucy Schoedel, head women’s ice hockey coach at Northwood School.
The 2016 U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team will begin practicing at Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York on 2nd January.
Roster U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team
Goaltenders:
Alex Gulstene, Okanagan Hockey Academy
Beth Larcom, Mass Spitfires
Defencemen:
Cayla Barnes, East Coast Wizards
Emily Brown, Blaine High School
Crystalyn Hengler, Eden Prairie High School
Makayla Langei, Shattuck St. Mary's
Grace Bowlby, Edina High School
Patricia Marshall, Shattuck St. Mary's
Gracie Ostertag, Shattuck St. Mary's
Madeline Wethington, Blake High School
Forwards:
Natalie Heising, Wayzata High School
Sydney Brodt, Mounds View High School
Grace Zumwinkle, Breck High School
Jesse Compher, Chicago Mission
Rebecca Gilmore, East Coast Wizards
Presley Norby, Minnetonka High School
Emily Oden, Edina High School
Alex Woken, Shattuck St. Mary's
Catherine Skaja, New Prauge High School
Natalie Snodgrass, Eastview High School
Taylor Wente, Maple Grove High School
Taylor Heise, Red Wing High School