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USA Hockey’s Fourth Annual U.S. Women’s National Team Goaltending Development Camp Begins Friday; Roster Includes Illinois’ Fitzgerald and Chobak

By Administrator on May 7, 2018

By USA Hockey

Camp Runs Through Sunday in Blaine, Minnesota

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that it will hold its fourth annual U.S. Women’s National Team Goaltending Development Camp from Friday-Sunday (May 11-13) at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota. The camp, which annually brings together the nation’s top female goaltenders from the U18 to professional level, provides athletes with specialized training and mentoring, as well as critical resources to support their long-term development as elite goaltenders. Illinois’ Kathleen Fitzgerald (Des Plaines) and Violet Chobak (Chicago) will be in attendance.

Goaltenders for the gold medal-winning 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team Nicole Hensley and Alex Rigsby will act as goalie mentors supporting lead coach Matt Kelly and the camp’s five goaltending coaches, Alli Altman, Laura Bellamy, Steve Guider, two-time Olympic silver medalist Bri McLaughlin and Lucy Scheodel.

The camp features 18 female goaltenders, including three gold medalists from the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Makayla Pahl (Rochester, Minn/gold-2018), Alex Gulstene (Minneapolis, Minn./gold-2017, 2016) and Beth Larcom (Middletown, R.I./gold-2016), as well as Katie Fitzgerald (Des Plaines, Ill.), who helped the Metropolitan Riveters claim the National Women’s Hockey League’s 2018 Isobel Cup.

The players range in age from 15-24 and represent 11 different states. Minnesota leads the way with five representatives, followed by Illinois, Massachusetts and New York with two apiece. Alaska, Connecticut, Michigan, North Dakota, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin each have one. Eight players spent last season playing college hockey, including three from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, two from both the ECAC and Hockey East Association, and one from College Hockey America.

For a complete roster and practice schedule, click here.