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Midwest Elite Hockey League Girls Continue To
Fill College Rosters
The Midwest Elite Hockey League Girls Division continues to see its
senior girls advance both their education and hockey careers at many
U.S. colleges and universities. After a successful second
season, and with 5 of its U19 teams having participated in the 2002-03
USA Hockey National Tournament, the league today announced that for
the second straight year over 40 of its teams' graduating seniors will
advance to Division I or Division III college hockey programs.
Players that have announced their college choices for
the 2003-04 season are:
TEAM ILLINOIS/CYA
Team Illinois/CYA will bid farewell to six seniors, all heading to
different schools in the east. Scoring force Daley Kirby will
become an Eph at Division III Williams College in Massachusetts.
Lauren Kuhn will continue her net-minding skills at the University of
Findlay, while Kirsten Forsberg will be one of the NESCAC players at
Division III Amherst College in Massachusetts. Jackie Wedster
will be a welcome addition to Division I University of New Hampshire.
Clarkson has netted another MWEHL forward in Carolyn Zidek, who will
be on its inaugural Division I team. Finally, goalie Rebecka
Mitter has decided to pursue her interest in government at American
University in Washington DC.
MADISON CAPITOLS
Another team that came on strong at the end of the season and won a
berth at Nationals, the Madison Capitols, will see 6 of its 7 seniors
continue to play hockey in college. Those players that will be
attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison to continue their
college hockey in the Division I WCHA are: Kristin Witting and
Heidi Kletzien. Amanda Parrish has also chosen UW-Madison but
will not continue in hockey. Amy Statz and Azita Zeyhgami are
heading to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a Division III
team in the NCHA. Finally, Jackie Jensen will go north to
powerful Division I St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.
WISCONSIN WILD
The Wild has an impressive list of seniors advancing on to the next
level in their hockey and academic careers. Heading to the Ivy
League's Brown University is Krystal Strassman, while another Ivy
Leaguer, Sheila Zingler, will make Yale her next academic and hockey
stop. Samantha Ritt will attend Division III Middlebury College
in Vermont, while Division I Northeastern University will add Amy
Goodney to its 2003-04 roster. Two Wild players will enroll at
Union College in New York, Carli McNeill and Lauren Carlson.
Mercyhurst, another member of the Division I College Hockey America
league, will welcome Sara Kurth. Going north to the University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will be Sarah Kidd to play in the NCHA.
Still two more seniors will be packing their school and hockey gear to
the following locations, Kelly Crandall to the University of North
Dakota and Becky Jelenc to St. Mary's in Minnesota.
BELLE TIRE
Belle Tire will see several of its 2002-03 seniors continue their
college and hockey careers out of state. At the Division I
level, Tina Wyzgowski will head to Niagara University in New York,
while Courtney Bank and Deana Wiegand will compete for Division III
Utica College, also in New York. Many other seniors are staying
close to home and will likely play another year of U19. Those
choosing a year at these local Detroit schools are: Rachelle
Arnott, Emily Swickle, and Natalie Swickle, who will attend Oakland
University and play U19. Other girls continuing on the college
path but not pursuing hockey are Jenna Leone at Macomb Community
College and Caitlin Smith at Western Michigan.
LITTLE CAESARS
On the heels of its strong performance at this year's USA Hockey
National Tournament, Little Caesars will see two of its seniors, Jami
Noble and Jenna Roland, head to Ohio to compete for Division I
University of Findlay which plays in the College Hockey America
league. Kristin Norris will move east to the University of
Vermont, which has seen steady improvement since going Division I only
two years ago in the ECAC. Stephanie Price has chosen Utica, a
Division III ECAC West league participant. Sarah Dawley will
attend Oakland University to pursue her nursing interest in lieu of
hockey.
In additional Little Caesars news, the organization
distributed four college scholarships at the end of the season, with
the following players as recipients: A $5000 grant went to Stephanie
Price, and three $2000 grants were awarded to Kristen Norris, Jenna
Roland, and Sarah Dawley.
MICHIGAN CAPITALS
The Michigan Capitals, a young but competitive team that steadily
improved throughout the 2002-03 campaign, has reported one
college-bound senior from last year's squad. Kristin Bourgon
will head west to Wisconsin to play D-III with the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point. With Bourgon joining the other Caps
from Madison, the Pointers will have a roster with many recent MWEHL
graduates.
MINNESOTA THOROUGHBREDS
The Minnesota Thoroughbreds will once again send a solid list of
seniors to D-I and D-III colleges. Taya Latham will be moving on
to Massachusetts where she will play at Williams College, a strong
Division III NESCAC member school. Two other Thoroughbreds,
Amanda Gage and Katie Quirk, will tag team to Division III St. Mary's
University in Minnesota. Rachel Van Beusekom will pack her bags
and go west to the University of North Dakota, a new Division I
program, while Kiersten Supina will go the other direction to another
new Division I program, Union College in New York.
OHIO FLAMES
Another of the league's National Tournament participants, the Ohio
Flames will see only three seniors graduating. Joining other
girls from the MWEHL at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be
Phoebe Monteleone. Ashley Shaidle will forge new ground at the
newly formed Division I program at Clarkson University in New York,
while accomplished student Meredith Batcheller will graduate to attend
Dartmouth University in the Ivy League.
SHATTUCK ST. MARY'S
After a respectable run at the National tournament, all three of
Shattuck-St. Mary's graduating seniors have made definitive choices of
where to continue their education and hockey for next year.
Clarkson University will take another of the MWEHL seniors to fill out
its new team, Brenna Louey. The University of Vermont will see
Kattie Anderson head to New England for her next step, while Karley
Schulte will attend Minnesota's Division III Hamline University.
WASHINGTON PRIDE
One of the league's most consistent winners last season, the Pride
advanced to the quarterfinals at last year's National Tournament.
The Pride's seniors will all head north of D.C. to pursue their hockey
careers at several New England and New York area schools.
Bowdoin College, a Division III school, will see Katie Forney come to
its Maine campus to continue her college hockey, while Division III
powerhouse Middlebury College will open its doors to Emily McNamara.
Clarkson University will add its fourth MWEHL graduate, with Stephanie
Hansen joining the program for its inaugural season.
Finally, the University of Connecticut, Division I in
Hockey East, will accept Molly Garrett onto their roster.
The MWEHL Girls Division wishes all of its student
athletes success both in the classrooms and on the ice for the
upcoming 2003-2004 season.
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