Bonnie Rosen Selected For U.S. National Team

STORRS, Conn. (June 1, 2005) – University of Connecticut head women’s lacrosse coach Bonnie Rosen is one of 16 people who have made the cut for the United States Women’s World Cup Team as announced on Thursday by the sport’s American governing body, U.S. Lacrosse.

The 16-member team will represent the U.S. at the 2005 International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations World Cup from June 23 to July 2 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The United State team will try and become the first side to ever win the World Cup on its native soil as it competes against a 10-nation field. This year will mark the first time that the IFWLA World Cup has been contested on American soil since 1986 when Rosen’s native Philadelphia served as the tournament’s host.

Rosen will be making her third appearance in the World Cup, having helped the American teams capture gold in both 1997 and 2001. She is one of seven members of the team to have played in multiple World Cups.

In addition to guiding the UConn lacrosse program since its inception in 1997, Rosen has maintained nationally elite playing status that she first reached as an undergraduate at Virginia. She earned regional All-America honors for the Cavaliers and helped the team to the 1991 national championship during her junior year. As a senior, she captained both the lacrosse and field hockey teams at UVa and was named each squad’s MVP. Rosen has competed internationally for the U.S. National Team since 1992, including her starting role as a defender on the 1997 and 2001 World Cup Champions.

This past spring Rosen guided the Huskies to their most successful season ever, recording a 12-5 record and capturing the ECAC Championship. UConn was nationally ranked for a record five consecutive weeks during the 2005 season, peaking at an all-time high of No. 15. For her efforts, Rosen was voted as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year in a vote of her peers. Rosen will have an opportunity to compete against one her her current Huskies in Annapolis as goalkeeper Kristen Haldeman has made the roster for Team Canada.

The roster was pared from 34 to 24 following a tryout held Jan. 22-23 in Orlando. The roster was trimmed again to the final 16 following the US Women’s Lacrosse National Tournament, held last weekend at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.