Outbreak puts one national dream on hold

It was lining up as one of the greatest weekend for Valley women's athletics ever -- former Colony basketball player Jessica Moore was to compete in the women's Final Four, while former Palmer hockey player Kerry Weiland was to compete for our country in the Women's World Hockey Championships.

At least Moore will take the court. Weiland, on the other hand, has to wait for another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after the World Hockey Championships, scheduled for Beijing, China, were canceled following the worldwide outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"Obviously our team, players and staff wanted to play," Doug Palazzari, executive director of USA Hockey, told ESPN.com in an interview last week. "It is a huge part of our program. We have to consider first and foremost the safety of our players and staff. I think they made the right decision."

Weiland is a defenseman who recently completed her senior season at the University of Wisconsin. She was joined on the national roster by Pam Dreyer of Eagle River, a goaltender at Brown University.

The national roster included 11 members of the 2002 U.S. Women's Olympic Team, which earned the silver medal at the Salt Lake City Olympics. Only nine players without Olympic experience -- including Weiland and Dreyer -- were selected to the national team.

The roster was selected following the 2003 U.S. Women's National Team Training Camp, which was held Dec. 26-Jan. 2 in Lake Placid, N.Y. The camp had 46 participants divided into two squads which took part in daily practices and games. Only 20 women were selected.

Canada and the U.S. are considered the top two teams in the world.

Teams from Switzerland, Sweden, Russia and Germany were already in Beijing with the host Chinese team. Squads from the U.S., Canada and Finland were about to leave when the tournament was canceled due to the outbreak of SARS -- which World Health Organization officials began in China. There are travel advisories to China, where the largest number of cases and deaths have been reported.

Team USA holds a 27-7-1 all-time record at the Women's World Championship, having earned silver medals in each of the seven tournaments held since the event began in 1990.

2003 Women's National Team roster

Defensemen -- A.J. Mleczko, Angela Ruggiero, Lyndsay Wall, Winny Brodt, Gen Richardson, KERRY WEILAND (PALMER HIGH SCHOOL), Meredith Roth.

Forwards -- Julie Chu, Natalie Darwitz, Tricia Dunn, Cammi Granato, Andrea Kilbourne, Katie King, Shelly Looney, Jenny Potter, Jessica Tabb, Kim Insalaco, Kristin King.

Goaltenders -- Pam Dreyer (Chugiak High School), Chanda Gunn.