TicketsJan. 31, 2013
BALTIMORE- US Lacrosse recently announced that University of Cincinnati's head coach, Gina Oliver, was one of 18 players named to the U.S. Women's National Team that is set to compete in the 2013 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Cup, July 11-20 in Oshawa, Ontario. The U.S. women's national team will look to defend its 2009 gold medal and earn its seventh overall world title. Oliver was a member of that 2009 squad and was named to the All-World Team, which is awarded to the best 12 players in the world.
A 2005 graduate of The Ohio State University, Oliver was selected to lead the Bearcats program on June 15, 2012. From 2008-2012 Oliver served as assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Duquesne University, where she produced a 2012 Atlantic-10 Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
"I am extremely fortunate to have been named to the 2013 Women's National Team that will compete in Canada for the World Cup this summer," stated Oliver. "I'm sure it was not easy choosing 18 out of the 25 because every player on that list is unbelievably talented. I am excited to have been given the opportunity to continue this journey with an amazing group of people. I am going to enjoy this moment for a week or two and then it's back to work! We have a title to defend!"
A standout midfielder at Ohio State (2002-2005), Oliver was a four-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes and earned All-America honors three times. The Pottstown, Pa. native is OSU's career leader in ground balls (236) and caused turnovers (201) and is second in draw controls (121). She is also third in career points with 166 while ranking second in goals (125) and sixth in assists (41).
The team was selected from a 25-player U.S. women's national training team roster, which was previously selected from a group of 38 players comprising the 2012-14 U.S. women's national team. Team USA most recently competed at the Jan. 25-27 Champion Challenge, a US Lacrosse event in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where it compiled a 3-0 record against Northwestern University, Syracuse University and the English women's national team.
The Team USA roster for the 2013 FIL World Cup, listed by position with collegiate affiliation and previous U.S. team experience noted:
Attack
Katrina Dowd, Northwestern
Danielle Etrasco, Boston University%
Lindsey Munday, Northwestern*
Katie Rowan, Syracuse*
Midfield
Sarah Albrecht, Northwestern*
Kelly Berger, James Madison
Sarah Bullard, Duke*^
Ally Carey, Vanderbilt^
Kristin Igoe, Boston College
Caitlyn McFadden, Maryland*
Katie Schwarzmann, Maryland%
Defense
Kristen Carr, North Carolina
Amber Falcone, North Carolina*
Holly McGarvie Reilly, Princeton*
Gina Oliver, Ohio State*
Jennifer Russell, North Carolina
Goalie
Megan Huether, Duke*
Devon Wills, Dartmouth*
* 2009 U.S. women's national team member ^ 2007 U.S. women's national under-19 team member % Current college player
"Today is one of the most exciting and most challenging days I've experienced as a coach," said U.S. women's national team coach Ricky Fried. "Our staff made some tough decisions in narrowing this incredible group of players down to the 18 we feel will give us the best chance to defend gold this summer, and we couldn't be happier with the group we've selected. The commitment and sacrifices of all 78 players who have been a part of the U.S. women's team program since the last World Cup has laid a strong foundation for the success we hope to realize this summer. We're thrilled to continue working with this team to bring home a seventh gold medal for the United States."
Team USA will reconvene for an exhibition against Team Canada at the 2013 US Lacrosse Women's National Tournament, May 24-26 at Lehigh University. After two training camps in Baltimore (June 26-July 2) and Buffalo, N.Y. (July 5-7), the team will travel to Oshawa for the World Cup.
For more information about the U.S. women's national team, visit www.uslacrosse.org/uswomen. To make a secure donation to the U.S. women's national team and help fuel their journey, visit www.uslacrosse.org/donate.
Champion is the official apparel sponsor of the U.S. women's national teams. deBeer is the official equipment sponsor of the U.S. women's national teams. Marriott, Nationwide and ShockDoctor are official sponsors of the U.S. National Teams Program.
About US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse and the home of the nation's fastest-growing sport. US Lacrosse has more than 400,000 members in 64 regional chapters across the country. Through responsive and effective leadership, US Lacrosse provides programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the sport. Bookmark, like and follow US Lacrosse at uslacrosse.org, fb.com/uslacrosse and @uslacrosse, respectively.