HARTFORD, Conn. – USA Hockey today announced the 23 players who have been selected to the U.S. Women’s National Team that will play Canada in the opening two contests of the 2019-20 Rivalry Series. The first game, part of the Team USA Champions Series, presented by Xfinity, is set for 7 p.m. ET tomorrow (Dec. 14) at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and will air live on NBC Sports Network. Game two will be played Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, with NHL Network providing live television coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
“We had a very competitive camp here in Hartford this week,” said Bob Corkum, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. “The players that performed the best are part of this roster and we’re looking forward to the two games against Canada. It’s especially great to start the Rivalry Series in the U.S. and in front of the great fans in the Hartford region.”
The roster features 17 members of the U.S. Women’s National Team who helped the U.S. capture the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship, including Cayla Barnes (Eastvale, Calif.), Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.), Sydney Brodt (North Oaks, Minn.), Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn.), Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.), Alex Cavallini (Delafield, Wis.), Jesse Compher (Northbrook, Ill.), Kendall Coyne Schofield (Palos Heights, Ill.), Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich.), Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.), Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), Emily Matheson (Buffalo, N.Y.), Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.), Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn.), Maddie Rooney (Andover, Minn.), and Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.).
A total of six players are making their U.S. Women’s National Team debut, including Kelly Browne (Burlington, Mass.), Natalie Buchbinder (Fairport, N.Y.), Britta Curl (Bismarck, N.D), Clair DeGeorge (Anchorage, Alaska), Aerin Frankel (New York, N.Y.) and Abby Roque (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.).
The players represent 10 states. Minnesota leads the way with five athletes, while Illinois, Massachusetts and New York each have three representatives. Alaska (1), California (2), Idaho (1), Michigan (2), North Dakota (1) and Wisconsin (2) are also represented.
A complete roster can found here.
NOTES: The roster includes 10 active NCAA players, including 2019 NCAA national champions Natalie Buchbinder (Fairport, N.Y.), Britta Curl (Bismarck, N.D) and Abby Roque (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) of the University of Wisconsin … Other games part of the 2019-20 Rivalry Series are slated for Victoria, British Columbia, on Feb. 3; Vancouver, British Columbia, on Feb. 5; and Anaheim, California, on Feb. 8. Tickets for all games are currently on sale and can be purchased here … The Rivalry Series was introduced by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada last season and comprised three games between the women’s national teams of the two countries. The U.S. captured the opening game in London, Ont., by a 1-0 count on Feb. 12, before Canada earned a 4-3 win in Toronto on Feb. 14 and a 2-0 victory on Feb. 17 in Detroit … The U.S. and Canada have battled in the gold-medal game of every IIHF Women’s World Championship and Olympic Winter Games staged, with just two exceptions (2019 World Championship, 2006 Olympics).
2019-20 Series Schedule
| Date | Opponent | TIME (ET)/Result | Location | Broadcast | Tickets/U.S. Player Of The Game | Game Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 14* | Canada | W, 4-1 | XL Center Hartford, Conn. |
NBCSN | Alex Cavallini | Stats |
| Tue., Dec. 17 | Canada | W, 2-1 | Avenir Centre Moncton, N.B. |
NHL Network | Alex Carpenter | Stats |
| Mon., Feb. 3 | Canada | L, 2-3 (OT) | Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre Victoria, B.C |
NHL Network | Hilary Knight | Stats |
| Wed., Feb. 5 | Canada | W, 3-1 | Rogers Arena Vancouver, B.C. |
NHL Network | Katie Burt | Stats |
| Sat., Feb. 8 | Canada | W, 4-3 (OT) | Honda Center Anaheim, Calif. |
NHL Network | Megan Bozek | Stats |
*The December 14 game in Hartford was part of the 2019 Team USA Champions Series, presented by Xfinity.
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