The Harvard women’s hockey team has the privilege of sending two skaters to represent the United States National Team at the 2004 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship.

Co-captain defender Angela Ruggiero and sophomore forward Julie Chu are two of the nation’s top 20 players selected to play on the U.S. National Team. The announcement marks the fifth time Ruggiero has been selected to play at a World Championship and the second for Chu.

The duo also represents two of 11 Olympians on the team’s roster. Ruggiero earned a gold medal in the 1998 Olympics and a silver with Chu at the 2002 Olympics.

Ruggiero—the anchor of the nation’s best defense which allows no more than 1.06 goals per game on average—has posted 27 points of her own this far into the season, good for second on Harvard behind junior forward Nicole Corriero. She also ranks sixth in the nation with 1.69 points per game, tops for a defender.

Chu follows right behind with 25 points and an average of 1.67 points per game for the second-best offense in the nation.

The IIHF Championship games run from March 30—two days after the NCAA championship game—through April 6 in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Canada has taken home the gold in each of the seven games held since 1990.