The United States National Team Development Program completed their summer of festival evaluations this past August, and a roster for the Under-18 Select Series was subsequently solidified. Upon selection, the players chosen traveled to Lake Placid, NY, where they hosted the Canadian Under-18 National Select Team in a three-game exhibition series from August 16-20, 2023.

The three-game exhibition series in Lake Placid was used as one of two final evaluations before selecting the final roster. In early October, USA Hockey published the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team Selection Camp roster. The evaluation camp then took place at the Super Rink in Blaine, MN from October 29-31, 2023.

The United States Under-18 National Team was announced, and we are humbled to share that ten of our Boston Lady Whalers players have been selected to represent their country at the 2024 World Championship from January 6-14, 2024 in Zug, Switzerland.

The team's roster is composed of players born in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Six members of our Boston Lady Whalers 2006 National Elite Team have been named to the team, as well as two members of our Boston Lady Whalers 2007 National Elite Team, and two members of our Boston Lady Whalers 2008 National Elite Team.  

Amongst our six 2006-born players selected, Massachusetts natives Alanna Devlin (Boston College commit) who is pictured above, Morgan McGathey (Harvard commit), Kassidy Carmichael (Ohio State commit), and Molly Boyle (Yale commit) pictured right, were each selected for the first time. Devlin, a native of Marshfield, grew up playing her youth hockey with the Boston Advantage boys program. She matriculated on to the NA Hockey Academy where she now stars and will be heading right in to Boston College to suit up for the Eagles this coming fall. McGathey, a Braintree native, grew up playing her youth hockey with the Boston Jr. Terriers boys teams, and is currently an offensive catalyst at Thayer Academy and committed to Harvard University. Carmichael hails from Westford, and grew up skating for the East Coast Wizards. She now skates alongside Devlin at the NA Hockey Academy, and will be Ohio State-bound in the fall of 2025. Boyle, a native of Scituate, grew up playing with the Bay State Breakers and East Coast Wizards programs. She now serves as the team captain as a junior at Phillips Andover Academy. She is committed to Yale University for the fall of 2025.

Maggie Scannell (Wisconsin commit) pictured right, and Rose Dwyer (Cornell commit) are two of the United States' only returners chosen, being named to the team for the second consecutive year. Scannell was subsequently announced as the team's captain for 2024. Both players were members of the 2023 U.S. Women's World Championship Team, and were crowned Bronze medalists last January in Östersund, Sweden. Scannell tallied 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 5 games to lead the team in scoring in 2023, and was named the Player of the Game in their matchups against Sweden and Finland.  Scannell, a native of Wyantskill, NY, grew up playing her youth hockey in the CP Dynamo boys program. She is currently in her senior season at Shattuck St. Mary's, and will be joining the Wisconsin Badgers this coming fall. Dwyer, a native of Wynnewood, PA, grew up playing her youth hockey with the Valley Forge Minutemen boys team. She matriculated on to Bishop Kearney Academy where she has been a staple of the team's defensive core for the past two seasons. She will be heading to Cornell University in the fall of 2024.

Caroline Averill and Ellie Dimatos (Princeton commit) are the two 2007-born Lady Whalers selected for the team. Averill, a native of Wayland, MA, grew up playing her youth hockey with the East Coast Wizards program, and is currently a sophomore at Phillips Andover Academy. Caroline has three sisters, all of whom have been lifelong members of the Boston Lady Whalers Elite Hockey Club. Her sister Maggie was also selected for the team, their older sister Anne currently plays at Dartmouth College, and younger sister Elizabeth is with Assabet Valley.  Ellie Dimatos hails from Princeton, NJ, and grew up playing her youth hockey with the Mercer Chiefs boys program in the AYHL. Dimatos matriculated onward to the prep ranks where she has played the past two seasons with the New Jersey Titans 19U in the fall and at the Lawrenceville School in the winter. This season, she is skating for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 19U Team. She recently announced her commitment to Princeton University, and plans to  join the Tigers in 2025. 

Maggie Averill and Mary Derrenbacher are the two youngest players named to the team, and the only two 2008-born skaters selected. They are both lifelong Boston Lady Whalers, joining the program as mites back in the summer of 2016. Averill, a Wayland, MA native, grew up playing for the East Coast Wizards program. She is currently excelling as a freshman defenseman at Phillips Academy alongside her sister Caroline and her defensive partner Molly Boyle - both of whom were also named to the team. Derrenbacher hails from Raleigh, NC, although it seems that she has comfortably made Boston her unofficial summer home over the course of her youth hockey career. She grew up playing with the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes boys team, and is currently lighting up the scoresheet as a freshman forward at the Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota.

The Boston Lady Whalers Elite Hockey Club staff was thrilled when the news broke, but not surprised. "Over the past nine years we have been entrusted and privileged to work with some of the best female athletes in the nation", said owner, Mike Cusack. "To have ten of our players recognized with this honor is unprecedented, and each of these young women will be a contributor to this team next month in Switzerland", he continued. "We are so excited for all ten of our Lady Whalers who worked so hard to achieve this honor", said Executive Director, Courtney Turner. "Any time you have a chance to represent your country it's a special feeling, and these girls should be extremely proud", she concluded.