USATH announces athletes selected for Junior National Team trip to Poland

USA Team Handball today announced the list of 15 athletes selected for the Junior National Team trip to Poland Nov. 14-23, 2009. The players were chosen following a selection camp and the 2009 Tar Heel Invitational this weekend.

USATH accepted an invitation last month from the Polish Handball Federation to play some of Europe's top U21 nations at the Silesia Cup in the Polish Olympic Training Center at Szczyrk, Poland, including Norway, whose U19 women's team recently won the European championships, and Denmark. These squads are expected to provide stiff challenge for the American team; the USA has received permission to field a limited number of over-age players for the tournament, similar to the Men's U23 trip to Germany earlier this year.

Marko Brezic (Salt Lake City, UT) will be the lead coach, assisted by former USA National Team goalkeeper Anca Stevens (Colorado Springs, CO). Dan Bush (Salt Lake City, UT) will serve as the athletic trainer. The team is scheduled to depart the USA on Sat., Nov. 14 and return on Mon., Nov. 23. Referee Robert Michalik (Brick, NJ) will travel with the team as a translator and USATH delegate.