Ohio State's Barto to Coach 2007-08 U.S. Women's National Team

Wisconsin's Johnson to coach Under-22 team; Harvard's Stone will lead U-18s

June 6, 2007

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (usahockey.com) - USA Hockey today announced its plans for the U.S. Women's National Program for the 2007-08 season. The United States will be represented by five teams and a total of 11 coaches in five international events.

In addition to the three events that Team USA has previously participated in - the Under-22 Series, the Four Nations Cup and the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship - USA Hockey will be fielding Under-18 teams for a three-game series against Canada and the first-ever IIHF World Women's Under-18 Championship.

"We're very excited about the direction that our women's program is headed," said Michele Amidon, director of women's hockey operations for USA Hockey. "With so many new players and coaches in the mix, plus the added Under-18 teams, we're improving our chances of continuously succeeding and competing at the highest level."

Jackie Barto (Lewis Center, Ohio), the current head women's ice hockey coach of The Ohio State University, will serve as the head coach of the U.S. Women's Select and National Teams that will compete in the Four Nations Cup (Nov. 7-11 - Leksand, Sweden) and the IIHF World Women's Championship (April 4-13 - Harbin, China). Joining her behind the bench as assistant coaches will be Paul Flanagan (Canton, N.Y.), head women's ice hockey coach at St. Lawrence University, and Kevin Houle (Morrisonville, N.Y.), head women's ice hockey coach at SUNY Plattsburgh.

USA Hockey's first-ever U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team will travel to Ottawa to take on Canada in a three-game series from August 22-26, then the U.S. Women's Under-18 National Team will convene in early January for the world championship in Canada (site and dates TBA). Katey Stone (Arlington, Mass.), who is the head women's ice hockey coach at Harvard University, will serve as the head coach of the Under-18 teams, with Erin Whitten Hamlen (Hampton, N.H.), associate head women's ice hockey coach at the University of New Hampshire, and Bob Deraney (Shrewsbury, Mass.), head women's ice hockey coach at Providence College, as assistant coaches.

Finally, USA Hockey will also assemble a U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team for the annual three-game Under-22 Series with Canada, to take place in Lake Placid, N.Y., from August 22-26. Last year's U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Mark Johnson (Madison, Wis.) will serve as the head coach of the Under-22 Team. His two assistant coaches will be Laura Halldorson (Champlin, Minn.), head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota, and Shannon Bryant (North Adams, Mass.), head women's ice hockey coach at Williams College.

In addition to the nine aforementioned coaches, Dave Flint (Merrimack, N.H.), head women's ice hockey coach at Saint Anselm College, will operate as the goaltending consultant for the entire U.S. Women's National Program. Further, Teena Murray (Louisville, Ky.), director of sport performance at the University of Louisville, will continue in her role as the strength and conditioning coach for the women's teams.

Beyond the five international events for Team USA during the 2007-08 season, USA Hockey will conduct its Women's National Festival from August 14-20 in Lake Placid, which will include teams at the Over-22, Under-22 and Under-18 levels, plus all 11 coaches. Lake Placid will also play host for USA Hockey's Women's Holiday Camp from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, during which time 42 players will train with the three head coaches (Barto, Johnson, Stone), along with Flanagan, Flint, Houle and Murray. In addition, USA Hockey will carry out training camps in Ann Arbor, Mich., prior to the Four Nations Cup, and in Colorado Springs, Colo., prior to the IIHF World Women's Championship.

NOTES: USA Hockey will host its first-ever Women's National Performance Evaluation Camp, a four-day off-ice session at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from June 11-14 ... Bob Deraney, Paul Flanagan, Laura Halldorson, Mark Johnson and Katey Stone are USA Hockey Level 4 certified coaches, while Shannon Bryant is Level 3 certified.