U.S. Festival Showcases Princeton Trio

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Princeton sophomore defenseman Sasha Sherry, along with recent graduate Lizzie Keady and 2004 graduate Megan Van Beusekom, are among a group of 64 players selected to participate in the 2008 USA Hockey Women's National Festival, which will take place August 12-23 in Lake Placid, N.Y., USA Hockey today announced. The Festival participants will be divided into three teams (Red/Over-22, White/Under-18 and Blue/Under-22) for daily practices and games.

Click here for complete roster as PDF

Sherry had a strong first season in the Orange and Black, scoring five goals and added 16 assists for 21 points. She was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie team and she ranked third in ECAC Hockey in freshman scoring and third in scoring among defenseman. She was also the highest scoring freshman defenseman in the league.

In addition to her fine freshman at Princeton, Sherry won a gold medal with the U.S. Under-18 Team at the IIHF U-18 World Championships in January in Alberta.

Keady completed her collegiate career this spring following four seasons in the Orange and Black. She graduated with 38 career goals and 41 career assists for 79 points in 118 games. Keady also has extensive National Team experience, appearing on the 2005-06 Pre-Olympic Tour, the 2004 Four Nations Cup and several National Festivals and Camps.

Van Beusekom currently plays for the Minnesota Whitecaps in the WWHL. She graduated as the leader in most goaltending categories during her time at Princeton. She represented the U.S. at the 2005 Women's World Championships and has also appeared at several National Festivals and Camps.
 
Team White is comprised of the players who will go on to represent the United States as part of the U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team during a three-game series with Canada in Lake Placid (August 20-23). While the roster for Team White includes 20 skaters and three goalies, only two netminders will go on to compete in the Women's Under-18 Series.

The Under-18 squad is highlighted by seven members of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team that captured the gold medal at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship. Those players include defensemen Blake Bolden (Stow, Ohio) and Alev Kelter (Eagle River, Alaska); and forwards Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.), Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.), Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.), Meagan Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.) and Madison Packer (Birmingham, Mich.).

Included on Team Red are 16 of the 17 members of USA Hockey's new women's residency program for post-NCAA players in Blaine, Minn., set to begin in September. The red squad also includes three who are still playing NCAA Division I hockey - goaltender Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis./University of Wisconsin), defenseman Rachael Drazan (Orono, Minn./Univ. of Minnesota) and forward Maggie Kennedy (West Hartford, Conn./Dartmouth College). The squad boasts a pair of three-time Olympians in forward Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) and defenseman Angela Ruggiero (Harper Woods, Mich.).

Meanwhile, Team Blue is made up of the previously announced 22-player U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team. The team will depart Lake Placid on Monday, August 18, to travel to Pierrefonds, Que., for the Women's Under-22 Series against Canada.