Three-Time U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Medalist Angela Ruggiero to Appear at January 31

January 27, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release

Syracuse, NY (January 27, 2009) -The Syracuse Crunch announced today in conjunction with AmeriCU Credit Union and in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, that three-time U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey medalist Angela Ruggiero will be appearing at the Crunch's game this Saturday, January 31 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Ruggiero, 29, has represented the United States at the last three Winter Olympic Games, winning gold at the first-ever women's ice hockey competition in Nagano, Japan in 1998, silver at Salt Lake City in 2002 and bronze at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

A native of Harper Woods, Michigan, Ruggiero became the first woman skater to play professional men's ice hockey in North America when she appeared in one game with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League alongside her brother, Bill, in 2004-05. The two of them earned a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the first brother-sister duo to play professional hockey together.

In addition, Angela was also given the honor of being one of eight U.S. Olympic athletes to carry the World Trade Center flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

A graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in Government, Ruggiero competed on the Division I Women's Ice Hockey Team, winning the national championship with the Crimson in 1999.

Ruggiero has been featured in numerous national magazines and newspapers and was a contestant on season six of NBC's The Apprentice.

Ruggiero will be signing autographs in Memorial Hall during the first intermission.

AmeriCU Credit Union is located in Central New York and is among NY State's largest full-service financial cooperatives. The organization has built relationships with members since 1950 and currently serves over 108,000 world-wide through its remote contact center and its ten-full service branch locations. In addition to its full offering of traditional banking services, AmeriCU provides investment, insurance and financial planning services and consultation. You can find AmeriCU Credit Union locations in Utica, Rome, Oneida, Syracuse, Liverpool, Auburn, Watertown, Fort Drum, North Utica, and Armory Square and on-line at www.americu.org

The Crunch's next game is Friday, January 30 as they take on the Lake Erie Monsters at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Crunch office at 315-473-4444, stopping by the Oncenter Box Office, located on the State Street side of the War Memorial or by calling Ticketmaster at 315-472-0700.

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