The NCAA announced the participants for the fourth annual Frozen Four Skills Challenge, set for April 10 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

The competition will be conducted in an East versus West format. Each team will have six male and six female position players and two male and two female goaltenders. An alternate list has been established in the event that players have to withdraw from the competition due to other commitments, such as their team’s participation in the 2009 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four.

Participants must have exhausted their collegiate eligibility and be nominated by their head coach. Representatives from the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and NCAA national office staff made final selections. The competition includes a puck control relay, fastest skater, hardest shot, rapid-fire shooting, accuracy shooting and penalty shot. Each competitor will receive a complete set of equipment and a full uniform from Bauer Hockey.

“This is truly a showcase of the top seniors across all of college hockey,” said Steve Cady, chair of the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee and senior associate athletics director at Miami (Ohio). “It has been an enjoyable experience for fans in the past, and Bauer Hockey and the Greater Washington Sports Alliance have committed a tremendous amount of resources to make this year the best skills challenge yet.”

The men’s selections for the East squad feature the nation’s leading scorer, Bryan Leitch of Quinnipiac, who has 53 points on the season. The other male skaters on the East squad include: Brock Bradford, Boston College; Matt Gilroy, Boston U.; Zach McKelvie, Army; Matt Pierce, Mercyhurst; and Joe Vitale, Northeastern. The two goaltenders are Keith Longo of Hobart and Yale’s Alec Richards.

The female skaters on the East squad are Kayla Coady, Elmira; Sam Faber, New Hampshire; Marie-Jo Gaudet, Clarkson; Sam Hunt, Colgate; Helen Resor, Yale; and Maggie Taverna, Boston College. The two goalies are Allyse Wilcox of Boston U. and Brittany Wilson of Connecticut.

Alaska Fairbanks goaltender Chad Johnson, second in the nation in goals-against average, leads the West team. The other goalie is Jeff Lerg of Michigan State. The six male skaters include Justin Bostrom, Minnesota; Greg Flynn, Air Force; Patrick Galivan, Western Michigan; Chad Rau, Colorado College; Tyler Scofield, Bemidji State; and MacGregor Sharp, Minnesota Duluth.

The women’s portion of the West roster includes: Johanna Ellison, Minnesota Duluth and Brianne McLaughlin, Robert Morris as goalies. The skaters are Melissa Boal, Wayne State (Michigan); Angie Keseley, Wisconsin; Gigi Marvin, Minnesota; Megan McCarthy, St. Cloud State; Sara O’Toole, Minnesota Duluth; and Ashley Riggs, Niagara.