Minnesotans land U.S. women's hockey spots

Several players with Minnesota ties have been named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. women's hockey team that will compete at the world championships in April in Ottawa, Ontario.

Three current Gophers are on the 28-player roster: forward Amanda Kessel and defensemen Megan Bozek and Lee Stecklein (Roseville). Others include former Gophers Gigi Marvin (Warroad), Sarah Erickson (Roseau), Anne Schleper (St. Cloud) and Jen Schoullis. Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux of Grand Forks, N.D., who played one season for the Gophers, also are on the roster.

The final 23-player roster will be chosen after a March training camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Minnetonka skater gets international silver Figure skater Alex Johnson of Minnetonka won the silver medal in the men's competition at the Challenge Cup, an international event held last week in the Netherlands.

It was the first senior international medal for Johnson, who trains in Colorado Springs. He finished seventh in the senior men's competition at last month's U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Swarm captain Suitor out for the season Minnesota Swarm captain Andrew Suitor will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury. Suitor was hurt during the Swarm's 13-8 road victory against Edmonton on Friday.

"I'm going to be the Number 1 cheerleader for the rest of the season, and this doesn't change what our team is, or our goal of winning the Champions Cup," Suitor said.

Gophers stand sixth in men's golf event The Gophers men's golf team was tied for sixth with the University of Missouri-Kansas City after 36 holes of the Snowman Getaway in Goodyear, Ariz. The Gophers opened with a morning round of 297 but improved by 10 strokes with a 287 total in the afternoon, a season low for Minnesota.

Gophers redshirt junior Jon Trasamar shot two of the team's top three rounds of the day with an opening-round 71 and a second-round 68 for a 36-hole total of 139. He will head into the final round in a four-player tie for second place.