University of Minnesota Athletics
Potomak, Alums Set for Four Nations
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Nov. 3, 2015
By Hannah Barnes, Athletic Communications Student Intern
MINNEAPOLIS - Sarah Potomak joins six former Gopher women's hockey players in representing their countries at the 2015 Four Nations Cup, which will take place this Wednesday through Sunday in Sundsvall, Sweden. Minnesota has representatives on three of the four teams competing in the tournament.
About the 2015 Four Nations Cup
The annual Four Nations Cup is scheduled from this Wednesday to Sunday. The tournament will take place at the Sundsvall Energi Arena in Sundsvall, Sweden. The Four Nations Cup has been held since 1996, and features Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Canada and Finland will face off on Wednesday for the tournament's first game at 8:30 a.m. CT, followed by a game between the United States and Sweden at 12:30 p.m. CT. Preliminary games run through Saturday, while the medal games take place on Sunday.
U.S. Women's National Team
Gopher alumni Megan Bozek, Gigi Marvin and Anne Schleper will represent the United States at the tournament. The 23-player U.S. roster includes 13 players that competed as part of the silver medal-winning 2014 U.S. Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team.
Schleper is one of 13 members of the gold medal-winning 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship representing the U.S. at the Four Nations Cup. Bozek and Marvin both competed for the U.S. at the 2014 Four Nations Cup.
The United States has won the gold medal at the tournament five times (1997, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012), finished second 12 times and third in the 2013 tournament. The U.S. holds an overall record of 40-5-5-23-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) in 75 Three/Four Nations Cup games.
Canada National Women's Team
Current Gopher Sarah Potomak will make her debut with Team Canada at the 2015 Four Nations Cup. The Aldergrove, B.C., native started her career with the Gophers during the 2015-16 season, and currently has 19 points (4g-15a) in eight games played.
Potomak joins Gophers alum Sarah Davis in representing Canada at the Four Nations Cup. Davis took home silver with Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship in Malmö, Sweden.
Since the debut of the Four Nations Cup in 1996, Canada's National Women's Team has won the gold medal a total of 14 times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014), and earned silver on five occasions (1997, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012).
Finland Women's National Team
Gopher alumni Mira Jalosuo and Noora Räty will skate for Finland at the Four Nations Cup. Both Jalosuo and Räty represented their country at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Both played key roles with the Gophers from 2009-13; Jalosuo recorded 57 career points on 19 goals and 38 assists, while Räty's stellar play earned her many NCAA and Minnesota goaltending records.
2014 Four Nations Cup Rewind
Canada won the gold medal at the 2014 Four Nations Cup with a 3-2 shootout win over the United States in Kamloops, British Columbia. Meanwhile, Sweden took home the bronze with a 2-1 win over Finland.
Six Gophers represented their home countries in last year's tournament as Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Megan Bozek and Lee Stecklein skated for the United States, while Kelly Terry skated for Canada and Mira Jalosuo skated for Finland.
Cameranesi was tied for most points in the 2014 tournament with four (2g-2a), while Brandt had two assists and Stecklein had one assist. Cameranesi, Brandt, Terry and Stecklein all appeared in four games. Bozek skated in two games, while Jalosuo appeared in three games.
2015 Four Nations Cup Schedule
The Four Nations Cup runs Wednesday through Sunday with three days of preliminary games to determine the gold and bronze-medal game matchups on Sunday.
Nov. 4: Canada vs. Finland (preliminary), 8:30 a.m. CT
Nov. 4: Sweden vs. United States (preliminary), 12:30 p.m. CT
Nov. 5: United States vs. Canada (preliminary), 11:30 a.m. CT
Nov. 5: Sweden vs. Finland (preliminary), 11:30 a.m. CT
Nov. 7: Sweden vs. Canada (preliminary), 6 a.m. CT
Nov. 7: Finland vs. United States (preliminary), 9:30 a.m. CT
Nov 8: Bronze Medal Game, 4 a.m. CT
Nov. 8: Gold Medal Game, 7:30 a.m. CT
Up Next: Gophers Host Bemidji State, Nov. 13-14
While Potomak competes for Team Canada, the rest of the Maroon & Gold is off from competition this weekend but returns to action next weekend, when Minnesota hosts Bemidji State at Ridder Arena for a series on Nov. 13-14. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT Friday and 4 p.m. CT Saturday.
###
