A pair of players with Princeton connections, current senior Lizzie Keady and 2004 graduate Megan Van Beusekom, were among the 18 players selected as part of the 2008-09 USA Hockey Women's National Team Residency Program. The group will train at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., from September 2008 through April 2009.

Click here for complete roster as PDF

Included on the initial roster are eight Olympians, as well as seven players who are just completing their four-year college careers. They range in age from 21 to 29, and nine won the gold medal as part of the U.S. Women's National Team at the recently completed 2008 IIHF World Women's Championship.

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.

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.

"We're excited about this new endeavor on the women's side," said Dave Ogrean, executive director for USA Hockey. "This residency program shows our commitment to building upon the recent successes of our Women's National Program and is an important step to help us reach our goal of winning the Olympic gold medal in Vancouver."

"This is another move in the right direction for our Women's National Program," said Michele Amidon, director of women's hockey operations for USA Hockey. "With our post-NCAA players centralized, we will be able to further focus our training and continue to develop our athletes as we get closer to the 2010 Olympics."