BOSTON ??? Three former Boston University men???s ice hockey players will be among the 23-man team going for gold at the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, this February. Chris Drury, Rick DiPietro and Keith Tkachuk join Team USA???s Assistant Coach Mike Sullivan in representing the Scarlet and White on the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men???s Ice Hockey Team, as announced on Monday by USA Hockey.

Chris Drury is making his second appearance on a U.S. Olympic team after skating to silver with Team USA at the Salt Lake Games in 2002. The Trumbull, Conn., native was a four-year standout for the Terriers, which culminated in 1998 when he was the first BU player ever to receive the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey???s top player.

Out of Winthrop, Mass., Rick DiPietro played for BU during the 1999-00 season before becoming the first goaltender ever taken with the first pick in the National Hockey League Entry Draft. During his season with the Terriers, he backstopped the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where BU lost in quadruple overtime.

Finally, finishing the 1990-91 season with 40 points for the Terriers, Keith Tkachuk (Melrose, Mass.) will be making an unprecedented fourth appearance on the U.S. Olympic Men???s Ice Hockey Team after skating for the red, white and blue in 1992, 1998 and 2002.

BU will be well represented on the U.S. squad with three players and a coach, while Lake Superior State also has three players and Boston College, Clarkson and Wisconsin each have two.

Team USA is set to begin play on Feb. 15 versus Latvia in Torino.