COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Hockey announced today that it will conduct a residency program in 2008-09 for athletes involved in its Women's National Program. The athletes, all of whom have completed their collegiate careers, will train at the Schwan Super Rink, part of the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., from September 2008 through April 2009.

Click here for complete roster as PDF

Three of the 18 players chosen to participate in the program include former Harvard players Caitlin Cahow '07-08, Julie Chu '06-07 and Angela Ruggiero '02-04. This trio recently won the gold medal with Team USA at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship in Harbin, China.

Ruggiero, the 2004 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient, won the gold medal at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, the silver at the 2002 Salt Lake City games and the bronze in 2006 in Torino. Chu, winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2007, is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won the silver in 2002 and the bronze in 2006. Cahow, Harvard's captain in 2007-08, also won the bronze in 2006.

In addition to practices, Team USA will play in an elite men's league on Wednesday evenings, while also playing a schedule that includes NCAA Division I women's teams, the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Western Women's Hockey League and scrimmages with select Minnesota high school boys' teams.
 
The announcement comes on the heels of the U.S. Women's National Program earning consecutive gold medals in recent months - first at the inaugural International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship in January, then at the IIHF World Women's Championship in April.