Philly women make US World Cup training squad

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/21/08

US Lacrosse has named 24 players to the U.S. training team for the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse Women’s World Cup – and six of them are from Philadelphia.

Radnor graduates Nikki Lieb and sister Jessi Lieb, Michi Ellers (Strath Haven), Regina Oliver (Pottstown) and Whitney Douthett (Newtown, Peddie School) will represent the US when it travels to the World Cup June 17-27 in Prague in the Czech Republic. A record 16 nations are expected to compete in the event.

Also making the cut was Penn State graduate and Princeton assistant Michele DeJuliis, the founder, owner and director of the Ultimate Goal Lacrosse Club, of Philadelphia.

The U.S. training team was selected from a 48-player pool that competed at the US Lacrosse Stars & Stripes Weekend in Syracuse, N.Y. on Oct. 11-12. The US coach is Sue Heether.

The training team will hold a practice weekend in December and will compete along with the remaining 24 players from the player pool during the US Lacrosse Champions Challenge in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., from Jan. 30 – Feb. 1. The final 18 players for the World Cup and six alternates will be selected following that event.

Headlining the roster is two-time World Cup veteran Quinn Carney. Carney was named to the all-world team after helping the U.S. to the silver medal at the 2005 World Cup in Annapolis, Md. Three alternates from the 2005 U.S. World Cup team — DeJuliis, Katie Chrest, and Acacia Walker — were named to the training team.

The complete training team roster follows:

Attack: Hilary Bowen – Northwestern ’09; Quinn Carney – Maryland ’01; Caroline Cryer – Duke ’09; Lindsey Munday – Northwestern ’06; Katie Rowan – Syracuse ’09.

Midfield: Sarah Albrecht – Northwestern ’06; Sarah Bullard – Duke ’11; Katie Chrest – Duke ’06; Michele DeJuliis – Penn State ’98; Whitney Douthett – Dartmouth ’07; Michi Ellers – Georgetown ’04; Kristen Kjellman – Northwestern ’07; Erica LaGrow – North Carolina ’08; Jessi Lieb – Penn State ’08; Nikki Lieb – Virginia ’06; Caitlyn McFadden – Maryland ’10; Holly McGarvie – Princeton ’09; Acacia Walker – Maryland ’05.

Defense: Amber Falcone – North Carolina ’09; Christy Finch – Northwestern ’08; Regina Oliver – Ohio State ’05.

Goal: Amy Altig – James Madison ’05; Megan Huether – Duke ’06; Devon Wills – Dartmouth ’06.