By: USA Hockey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --- With the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, less than a year out, the U.S. Women’s National Team program is earnestly preparing in its quest for gold after medaling in each of the first three Olympic Winter Games that have included women’s ice hockey.

USA Hockey will utilize The Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Mass., as well as the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., and Schwan’s Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., to assist in preparations for the Games. The three locations provide the program with elite facilities for both on- and off-ice player development and instruction.

“We’re fortunate to have world-class facilities to help prepare our team for Sochi,” said Reagan Carey, director of women’s ice hockey for USA Hockey. “Our goal is to bring home the gold medal to the U.S. and we’ll work hard in all aspects of our program to put our athletes in the best position to accomplish that goal.”

Next on the schedule for the U.S. Women’s National Team program is a camp in Lake Placid from March 25-31 to select the U.S. Women’s National Team that will represent the country in the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, Ont. A total of 28 athletes will participate in the camp, with the final 23-player roster announced on March 30.

Beginning June 16, a camp to select the U.S. Women's National Team that will train together and play in various competitions in the build-up to Sochi will be staged in Lake Placid. Approximately 40 athletes will participate in on- and off-ice testing as well as three intrasquad scrimmages with the final roster revealed on June 24.

USA Hockey expects to announce the first formal game that will be part of its "Bring on the World Tour" to assist in preparing the U.S. Women's National Team for the Olympic Winter Games tomorrow, with other locations unveiled in the coming weeks.

The final 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team, which will include 18 forwards/defensemen and three goaltenders, will be announced in late December 2013.

NOTES: Katey Stone, head women’s ice hockey coach at Harvard University, is the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team and will also serve as the head coach of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team … The assistant coaches for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team are likely to be announced later this spring … The 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi will run from Feb. 6-23. Women’s ice hockey competition is slated to begin on Feb. 8 with the gold-medal game contested on Feb. 20.

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.