University of Minnesota Athletics
Johnson to Coach U.S. at IIHF U-18 Championship
12/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
IIHF U-18 WWC Schedule | U.S. U-18 Team | Canada U-18 Team
MINNEAPOLIS - Gopher women's hockey associate head coach Joel Johnson will serve as the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team at the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women's World Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., Jan. 5-12.
The IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship features some of the best women's hockey players in the world, 18 years of age and younger, and includes teams from the U.S., Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Japan, Russia, Switzerland and Sweden.
Two future Gophers are set to represent their home countries in the tournament as forward Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.) will skate for Canada and forward Sophie Skarzynski (Lake Forest, Ill.) will skate for the U.S. Both competed for their respective countries at last year's event where Potomak led all players with nine points in five games and earned gold with Canada and Skarzynski earned silver with the U.S.
Johnson was named the head coach of the U.S. women's national U-18 team for the 2014-15 season last May and led the squad to a 1-2 record in the 2014 Women's U-18 Series against Canada in Calgary, Alberta, last August. His previous experience with USA Hockey includes serving as a member of the coaching staff for the 2012 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship and the 2013 Women's U-18 Series as well. He has also served as a coach at various U.S. Women's Select Festivals. This year marks Johnson's 10th season as a member of the Gophers' coaching staff.
The 2015 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship begins with Sweden and Japan facing off at 11 a.m. CT on Monday, Jan. 5, at HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, N.Y. The U.S. and Canada meet in both teams' first game of the tournament at 6 p.m. CT on Monday, Jan. 5.
The U.S. will compete against Canada, Czech Republic and Russia in group one, and Finland, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden make up group two. Each team will play three preliminary-round games, and the tournament concludes with the bronze and gold medal games on Monday, Jan. 12.
Canada enters the tournament as three-time defending champions, taking home gold in 2012, 2013 and 2014, along with 2010. Meanwhile, the U.S. has played in the gold medal game in seven of the previous IIHF U-18 Women's World Championships and earned gold three times (2008, 2009, 2011).
Individual tickets for the IIHF U-18 Women's World Championships start at $5 and are also available as day passes (four games) and tournament passes (all-inclusive). For ticket information, fans may call the First Niagara Center box office at 716-855-4444.
###
