WINCHENDON, Mass. – ASHI Team USA Women’s Division announced the roster for the Women’s National Team that will compete at the 2017 ISBHF World Senior and Women’s Ball Hockey Championship June 3-10 in Pardubice, Czech Republic.
The 23-woman roster includes nine members of the 2015 Team USA squad that competed at the ISBHF World Senior and Women’s Ball Hockey Championship held in Zug, SUI. Returning to the team from 2015 are: Eleni Aidonidis (Boston, MA), Julia Bronson (Arlington, VA), Kelly Foley (Boston, MA), Alessandra Glista (Boston, MA), Karen Levin (Evanston, IL), Eileen Meslar (Chicago, IL), Tiffany Pokora (Flint, MI), Cherie Stewart (Fountain Valley, CA), Danielle Strohmier (Oak Lawn, IL).
Glista, Liane Dixon (Oak Bluff, MA) and Roxanne Gaudiel (Sarasota, FL) competed for Team USA at the 2016 ISBHF World Masters Championship that was held June 1-5, 2016 in Banff, AB. Dixon earned tournament MVP honors as the team won silver. Kayla Saylor (Pittsburgh, PA) was a member of the USA Women’s B Team that competed in the 2015 World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championship in Barrie, ON.
The squad also includes newcomers: Carli Bekkering (Lethbridge, AB), Lindsey Bitler (Reading, PA), Stefanie Caban (Leominster, MA), Becky Dobson (Doylestown, PA), Haley Frade (New Bedford, MA), Nikki Gnozzio (Denville, New Jersey), Amber Moore (Sunnyvale, CA), Sara Reddington (Boston, MA), Erica Simpson (Concord, NH), Taylor Steadman (Lebanon, NH), and Lindsay Wilde (Boston, MA) .
Four players – Moore, Stewart, Gaudiel, and Bekkering – all have professional ice hockey experience. Moore and Stewart were inaugural members of the New York Riveters of the NWHL. Gaudiel, who played on USA Hockey’s U-22 National team in 2003, played for the Quebec Avalanche of the original NWHL. Bekkering, who has dual citizenship, was a member of the Strathmore Rockies (now Calgary Inferno) in the CWHL from 2009-2011.
Representing nine states, the roster by position is as follows:
Forwards (14) – Aidonidis, Bitler, Bronson, Dixon, Dobson, Foley, Frade, Gnozzio, Pokora, Reddington, Simpson, Steadman, Stewart, and Strohmier.
Defense (7) – Caban, Gaudiel, Levin, Moore, Meslar, Saylor and Wilde
Goaltender (2) – Bekkering and Glista
In preparation, the team will be holding camps Jan. 14-15 in Dracut, MA and in April in St. Catharines, ON. The women’s national team has captured one bronze medal in the programs history, and finished fourth at the 2015 World Championships.
ASHI’s Womens Division general manager is Jason Kelly (Frankfurt, Germany). Gwen Ranquist-Lemieux (Hamilton, ON), who served as head coach from 2006-07, returns behind the bench in 2017. She will be joined by assistant coaches Dorene Sheets (Vancouver, BC), Jason Glista (Media, PA), and goalie coach Thomas Bricklemyer (Philadelphia, PA).
SOURCE: ASHI, ISBHF
