Left photo: Meghan Duggan. Right photo: Erika Lawler and Hilary Knight. Photos courtesy of Redheat15.
I would like to congratulate Meggan Duggan, Erika Lawler, and Hilary Knight for making the US Women's U-22 Team. The U-22 Team will participate in the USA Hockey Women's National Festival in Lake Placid starting August 12 and a 3-game series against Canada's U-22 Team August 20-23 in Pierrefonds, Quebec. All 3 players also participated in the 2007 National Festival and made the 2007 U-22 team, not to mention playing for the 2008 US team that won the gold in the IIHF World Women's Championships earlier this Spring.
With 20 goals and 23 assists as a sophomore last season, Duggan tied Jinelle Zaugg to lead the team with 43 pts and was tied for 2nd on the team in goals with Hilary Knight. As a junior this season, she'll be the Badgers' top returning points-scorer and, along with Hilary Knight, will be the top returing goal-scorer. Meghan made this year's U-22 team despite being unable to attend the U-22 camp. (Brooke Ammerman, who also was unable to attend the camp, did not make the team.) As mentioned, Meghan also participated in last year's Festival and played on last year's U-22 team. She wrote a blog during last year's Festival, and based on her blog, it appears that the U-22 team was not selected until the end of the Festival, whereas this year the team was chosen based on a the U-22 camp held previously this summer. During the 2007 Festival, she had 1 goal and 1 assist in 4 games. During the 2007 U-22 series v. Canada, she had 1 assist. And if I've done my math correctly, at the IIHF Championships she finished + 6 with 4 goals (including a game-winner), 1 assist, and 21 SOG.
With 12 goals and 28 assists as a junior last season, Lawler led the Badgers in assists and was 3rd on the team (behind Duggan and Zaugg) with 40 points. During the 2007 Festival, she had 1 assist in 4 games. During the 2007 U-22 series v. Canada, she was held of the scoresheet. At the 2008 IIHF Championships, she finished + 3 with 2 assists and 8 SOG. But clearly stats don't tell the whole story about her performance at that series, as fellow (but more reputable) bloggers at BTD gave Ms. Lawler the Unsung Hero Award.
With 20 goals and 18 points as a freshman last season, Knight was 4th on the team in points and tied (with Meghan Duggan) for 2nd on the team in goals. During the 2007 Festival, she had 1 assist. During the 2007 U-22 series v. Canada, she had 1 assist. At the 2008 IIHF Championships, she finished even with 1 assist and 9 SOG.
As mentioned earlier, the National Festival begins on August 12. The team leaves for Pierrefonds on August 18th and will play Canada Aug 20th at 7pm, Aug 22 at 7pm, and Aug 23 at 9:30 pm. (I don't know what time zone that is, so hopefully a reader will help me out?) Not sure if any broadcasts will be available, but I'd imagine the kids on the uscho women's fan forum will let us know, as they're always on top of that type of thing.
Hopefully our American U-22 Badgers will fare better this year than last, as Team Canada swept the series last year. (I have not yet heard anything about the selection on Canada's U-22 team, although 5 Badgers participated in the summer camp.)
Posts
