Although no formal announcement is planned until Jan. 1, USA Hockey has set its women’s roster for the 2014 Sochi Games barring no major injuries in the next week, multiple sources have told to the Herald.
Both Grand Forks natives - Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux - are on the final roster, as is Warroad, Minn., product Gigi Marvin.
It will be the second straight Olympic Games for the Lamoureuxs and Marvin, who led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The Lamoureux twins, who have been part of three gold medal-winning Women’s World Championship teams, will likely play on the same line in Sochi just as they did in Vancouver. In the 2010 Games, the sisters combined for 16 points in five games.
Marvin, who played as a forward in college, is expected to play defense in Sochi. She has played on the blue line in the past two Women’s World Championships.
The Lamoureuxs and Marvin are three of eight skaters that will return from the Vancouver Games. The others are forwards Hilary Knight, Julie Chu, Meghan Duggan, Kelli Stack and defenseman Kacey Bellamy. The goaltending trio - Molly Schaus, Jessie Vetter and Brianne McLaughlin remains the same.
Prior to Saturday night’s pre-Olympic game between the U.S. and Canada in Ralph Engelstad Arena, USA Hockey still needed to cut two more players. Sources say that USA Hockey did release two players after the game - defenseman Lisa Chesson and forward Anne Pankowski.
When asked whether USA Hockey could confirm the release of Chesson and Pankowski, a spokesperson only said that nobody has been removed from the official roster.
The U.S. will be bringing 11 forwards and seven defensemen to Sochi, instead of the usual alignment of 12 forwards and six defensemen. That could make Marvin’s presence larger. Marvin could move up to forward if needed.
The U.S. still has two exhibition games left before the formal announcement of the final roster during the second intermission at the Winter Classic. The Americans take on Team Canada on Saturday in St. Paul and on Monday in Toronto.
The Olympic team is expected to be on hand in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.
Karvinen, Tapani make Finn roster
Current UND forward Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani have made Team Finland and will head to Sochi in February as well.
Karvinen also competed in the 2010 Winter Games, winning a bronze medal with the Finns. This will be Tapani’s first Olympics.
UND will is expecting to lose the forwards for about a month. After the Olympics, they will return to Grand Forks.
UND sophomore defenseman Tanja Eisenschmid also has made the Germany Olympic Team and will play in Sochi alongside former UND defenseman Susanne Fellner.
In addition to the six former or current UND skaters that will play in Sochi, current UND video coordinator Max Markowitz has been hired by Finland to work as its video coordinator at the Olympics.
