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Heading into its bye week, the No. 2
Wisconsin women's hockey team has compiled an impressive 9-2-1
record this season. A large part of that record can be attributed to
the play of forwards Meghan Duggan, Erika Lawler, Jinelle Zaugg and
goaltender Jessie Vetter.

This week, the USA's Women's Select
Team will be counting on those four Badgers to help the team place
well at the Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden. Oct. 16, USA Hockey
announced that the aforementioned four UW players were included on
the 22-player roster and would be competing in this week's
tournament.

"I was real excited when I found out
I had been selected," Zaugg said. "I was surprised because I
don't really know Jackie [Barto] as a coach.

The Badgers — winners of the last two
National Championships — have put together a very impressive
program under head coach Mark Johnson and will be sending four
players to the Four Nations Cup for the first time in UW history.

"We have a good program here,"
Zaugg said. "We have a lot of good players, and this says a lot
about our program."

For Zaugg and Lawler, this will be
their second Four Nations Cup, having represented UW last year in
Canada. All four Badgers have had experience playing for a USA
national team.

Duggan and Vetter represented the
United States in a three-game U-22 series between the United States
and Canada earlier this year, but this will be the pair's first
time playing in Europe.

"The only time I have been out of the
country is to Canada," Duggan said. "This will be a good
experience, and I get a little taste of their culture."

All four have the resumes to back up
the selections.

Zaugg is one of the team captains and
was named to the 2006-07 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. Vetter,
another team captain, was the 2005-06 Frozen Four Most Outstanding
Player. Lawler led all UW sophomores with 38 points last season, and
scored 70 points in her first two seasons at UW, and Duggan was named
the 2006–07 WCHA Rookie of the Year while being selected to
all-WCHA second-team.

"All four of them are very
deserving," Johnson said. "They have all worked hard and earned
their spots on the team. Hopefully, they will have a good time."

While all four of the girls are
excited, they have different expectations about the experience.

"I'm trying not to get my hopes up
too high," Zaugg said. "There are a lot of good players, so I
just need to go out there and give 110 percent whenever I get a
chance to play. I am just excited to be wearing the jersey and
getting to play with the team."

"I'm going to just try and have a
lot of fun," Vetter said about her expectations. "Obviously our
team wants to do well and compete, but I am just going to enjoy the
experience and have fun with it."

"I don't really like to set
individual goals," Lawler added. "I think that you have to go out
there and try not to be nervous, and just be comfortable in a new
situation. I'm going to work as hard as I can, and whatever happens
happens."

There is one thing that all four agree
about — the honor to wear a USA jersey.

"It is a great honor to play for your
country," Duggan said. "It is amazing to come together as a team
and put that jersey on and go out there and represent your country."

The United States
has earned either the gold or silver medal in each of the 10 years it
has competed in the Four Nations Cup.

The UW players
will also be joined by two Minnesota players, Gigi Marvin and Erica
McKenzie — a week after Wisconsin split a series with the
opponents.

"It is healthy
competition with the Gophers," Vetter said. "You hate to lose to
the Gophers, but we have a lot of fun with the girls when we play on
the U.S. team with them."