The US Women’s National Bandy team’s roster has been finalized and the group is ready to compete in the 2022 Women’s Bandy World Championship, which will take place next week, March 23-27, in Växjö, Sweden. Team USA has finished in 5th place in each of the past three World Championship competitions and aims to finally get onto the medal podium in 2022.  This year looks to be perhaps their best chance, ever, of achieving that goal.  The group been training together – both on and off the ice – since last May, and the roster is filled with veteran experience.

Team USA’s defense is incredibly deep.  It starts in goal with the 2016 World Championship “Best Goalkeeper” award winner, Sarah Ahlquist Schneider, (South St. Paul, MN) a veteran and team captain who will be competing in her sixth World Championship.  Joining her once again is goaltending partner, Marah Sobczak, (Stillwater, MN) who will be making her third World Championship appearance.  On the backline are stalwart sweeper, Mollie Carroll, (Eagan, MN) and tenacious fullback Maddie Bergh, (Eden Prairie, MN) who have both competed in the past three World Championships.  Rounding out the defensive line is fullback, Becky Draper, (Minneapolis, MN) who has made an unbelievable comeback to the USWNT roster after a decade hiatus.  Draper last competed for Team USA in 2012.  This will be her fourth World Championship appearance.

The USWNT is also going to be very talented at the halfback position in this tournament.  Captain, Amy Stech, (Duluth, MN) who boasts one of the most powerful shots in the world, will slide back from the forward position, where she had previously played in the past four World Championships.  Joining her in the halfback position will be the smooth-skating Mikayla Rogers, (St. Paul, MN) and stickhandling dynamo, Allie Johnson, (Stillwater, MN) who will be making their fourth and second World Championship appearances, respectively.

In the US midfield, speed reigns. Team USA’s skating prowess in the middle of the rink should prove to be a definite weapon, as the group transitions from defense to quickly move up ice and generate scoring chances.  Leading the way is the fleet-footed US Ice Cross star, Tam Meuwissen, (Chanhassen, MN) who will be competing in her third Bandy World Championship.  Also making her third World Championship appearance is the powerful Kalli Funk, (Roseville, MN) who has been scoring goals in bunches all winter. Veterans, Kelly Engebretson, (Long Lake, MN) and Kelsey Kennedy, (Eagan, MN) lead the way in terms of experience, as this will be the fifth World Championship for each of them.  Their vision and intelligence in reading and making plays will be crucial to Team USA’s success on both ends of the ice.  And filling out the midfield group will be newcomer, Katharine Chute, (Wayzata, MN) an exceptionally talented athlete who had an accomplished NCAA Division-I hockey career playing for Harvard University.

As with the midfield, the forwards on Team USA also boast spectacular speed.  Veteran and newly-named captain, Meagan Wanecke, (Delafield, WI) will absolutely be a player to watch in the 2022 World Championship, which will be her fourth.  Wanecke is joined by two newcomers to the world stage: Kenzie Prater, (Hudson, WI) and Jordan Schildhaus, (Woodbury, NY) who each put plenty of balls into the opponents’ nets during the 2021-22 American Bandy Association season that concluded last month.  Look for all three of these names to appear on scoresheets next week in Sweden.

Team USA is led by head coach, Chris Middlebrook, (Minneapolis, MN) who took over the coaching reins this winter from longtime USWNT coach, Mikael Sandberg.  Middlebrook was an assistant for the women’s team at the past two World Championships and has put in a remarkable amount of time and energy leading this team in training sessions for the past ten months.  Joining him as an assistant coach will be Daren Richardson, (St. Paul, MN) who will be making his World Championship coaching debut.  Richardson has lived in Sweden since 2007 and has played bandy in the country for 15 years.

Away from the ice, distinguished bandy legend, Magnus Skold, (Linkoping, Sweden) will once again fill the role of general manager of Team USA as well as FIB dignitary.  Katie Swor, (South St. Paul, MN) will serve as manager for a fourth time at a World Championship.  And Taylor Meyers, (Emo, Ontario) a professional chiropractor who trained and skated with the team for the past ten months, will step into the role of team athletic trainer.

Not able to join the USWNT on the active roster for the 2022 World Championship are veteran, Briana Carlson, (Akron, OH) and first-year player, Kaylie Prater, (Hudson, WI).  Both players spent time with the team for much of the training leading up to the tournament and their presence will be missed in Sweden.

2022 WOMEN’S BANDY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE – TEAM USA

Wednesday, March 23

USA vs Norway – 3:00PM 

Thursday, March 24 

USA vs Finland – 3:00PM

Friday, March 25

USA vs Sweden – 6:00PM

Saturday, March 26

Semifinal (TBD) – 2:00PM

Semifinal (TBD) – 5:00PM

Sunday, March 27

Bronze Medal Match – 11:00AM                             

Gold Medal Match – 2:30PM