The 2018 NWHL Skills Competition and All-Star game is February 10-11 in St.Paul, Minnesota at the Minnesota Wild Tria Rink practice facility. The skills competition takes place Saturday night, with the All-Star Game on Sunday.
The Referee for this year’s event is Jordan Kraabel. Linesmen are Mike Trumble and Ian Schachte.
The All-Star Game will consist of two 25-minute halves and each team will have 12 skaters and two goaltenders. Teams were selected by team captains Amanda Leveille, an Isobel Cup champion in 2017 who played at the University of Minnesota from 2012-2016, and Brittany Ott, an Isobel Cup champion in 2016 who was raised in Michigan.
From the NWHL:
Of the 28 NWHL All-Stars, eleven have connections to Minnesota: Besides Amanda Leveille, there are Katie Fitzgerald, who played at St. Cloud State; Minnesota native and former U. of Minnesota defender Jordyn Burns; Lexi Bender, Alyssa Gagliardi, Rebecca Russo and Courtney Burke, who played at Shattuck-Saint Mary’s; and Minnesota natives Corinne Buie – the only two-time winner of the NWHL’s Isobel Cup – and Sydney Rossman. In addition, the NWHL has invited the Minnesota Whitecaps to participate in its All-Star Weekend in the State of Hockey. Minnesota’s pro team will be represented by forwards Kate Schipper and Sadie Lundquist.
2018 NWHL All-Star Rosters
Team Leveille
Goalies: Amanda Leveille, Beauts; Katie Fitzgerald, Riveters
Defenders: Lexi Bender, Pride; Jordyn Burns, Beauts; Lisa Chesson, Beauts, Sarah Edney, Beauts; Kelsey Koelzer, Riveters
Forwards: Kelly Babstock, Whale; Sam Faber, Whale; Kristin Lewicki, Beauts; Meagan Mangene, Pride; Rebecca Russo, Riveters; Kate Schipper, Minnesota Whitecaps; Janine Weber, Pride
Team Ott
Goalies: Brittany Ott, Pride; Sydney Rossman, Whale
Defenders: Amanda Boulier, Whale; Courtney Burke, Riveters; Jenny Ryan, Riveters; Alyssa Gagliardi, Pride; Michelle Picard, Riveters
Forwards: Corinne Buie, Beauts; Jillian Dempsey, Pride; Emily Field, Pride; Alexa Gruschow, Riveters; Sadie Lundquist, Minnesota Whitecaps; Hayley Scamurra, Beauts; Jordan Smelker, Pride
The teams will be coached by a pair of Minnesota residents: three-time Olympian Tricia (Dunn) Luoma, who won gold with Team USA in Nagano in 1998; and Winny (Brodt) Brown, the first-ever winner of the Ms. Hockey Award for high school hockey in Minnesota and a member of the U.S. National Team program for a decade.
