For more information:
Michele Friesen
541-754-1877(home)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Eugene, OR – The Lane Amateur Hockey Association announced today that thirteen year old ice hockey player Nikki Friesen was selected by USA Hockey to attend the Select Girls 14 National Festival in Rochester, NY in July. Friesen, a Corvallis resident who plays defense for the Eugene Jr. Generals, was one of seven players selected from twenty nine candidates at the Pacific District Festival two weeks ago in Lynnwood, WA., to attend the National Festival.

The USA Hockey Girls Select 14 National Festival is an evaluation and training camp designed to identify possible candidates for the National Team. "It's a big honor," said Friesen, "I'm really excited." The National Festival will bring together 102 girls from all over the country to Rochester, NY from July 22-28. Some of the top coaches from across the country, including Division I NCAA coaches, will be in attendance as guest instructors at the camp. Former National Festival attendees include Olympians Jenny Potter and Angela Ruggiero. "This is the first step in the evaluation and development process for the elite player which allows USA Hockey to begin tracking the very best hockey players across the country." stated Flint Doungchak, an evaluator and camp team leader for the Boys Select 14 camp.

Friesen started playing inline hockey at age five, and has been a member of the Valley Vikings Hockey Club since 2005. Then, in 2007, she started the long one hour commute from Corvallis to Eugene in order to play ice hockey at Lane Events Center - Ice, the closest ice facility. "It's a long haul and it's even longer sometimes to travel to games, but it's been good for Nikki and obviously it has earned her this amazing opportunity," said Ross Friesen, Nikki's father.

Friesen is now the third local player who has been selected for USA Hockey National Select Festivals. Both Peter Mingus and Tyler Poulsen, members of the Eugene Generals, were selected to attend the Boys Select 17 National Festival. "It's absolutely wonderful to think that Eugene has become a place for hockey. Not only has it provided an excellent athletic outlet for local youth for over 20 years, but in the last few, it's also become an avenue for the development of elite hockey players," remarked Kelly McMahan, President of the Lane Amateur Hockey Association.

For more information on the Eugene Jr. Generals youth hockey teams, please visit www.eugenehockey.com

Additional Information and Support:

• Friesen Action Shot (hi-res)
• Friesen with 1980 Olympians Jack O'Callahan and Dave Silk (hi-res)
  Friesen (front left) with teammates Connor Hoernlein (center) and Justin Stone (front right) and 1980 Gold Medal winners Dave Silk (top left) and Jack O'Callahan (top right)
• Eugene Jr. Generals Logo (hi-res jpeg)
• Eugene Jr. Generals Web Site
• USA Hockey Web Site
• Eugene Generals Web Site