USA Hockey continues to help advance women's hockey as highlighted by the inaugural U.S. Women's National Team Goaltending Development Camp starting today at Schwan's Super Center in Blaine, Minnesota with off-ice testing.

The camp consists of 18 of the top female goaltenders who are eligible for international play, with players ranging in age from 16-29, including two-time Olympian Jessie Vetter.

"This camp serves as an exciting new platform to bolster our national goalie development, training, and scouting for our female goaltenders," said Reagan Carey, USA Hockey's director of women's hockey. "Never before have 18 of our nations elite goalies had the opportunity to train and compete together at the same camp. It’s a rare opportunity for a 16-year old goalie to train and compete alongside a veteran Olympic level goalie. We look forward to all the benefits of that integrated training environment.”

A female-specific camp showcases the growth of women's hockey and is the natural evolution of the program, allowing more goaltenders to participate and the introduction of a curriculum that is specific to the women's game. In past years, female goalies have conducted their summer training with the top male goalies in the U.S.

Carey added, “For the last six years we have benefited from the integration of our nations top female goaltenders training with their male counterparts during the Warren Strelow National Goaltending Mentor Program. Our objective is to utilize this new camp to not only develop our top 18 female goalies in the nation, but to also activate more synergy in our coaching philosophies and standards that can be leveraged at all levels (affiliate, district and national).”  

Robb Stauber, goaltending coach for the U.S. Women's National Team, is the head instructor for the camp, which runs until Sunday .

Be sure to follow along here to learn more throughout the camp.