Starksboro, Vt., two-time NorAm GS champ Megan McJames of Park City and Keely Kelleher of Big Sky, Mont. Young speedsters Leanne Smith of Conway, N.H., and Chelsea Marshall of Pittsfield, Vt., may also start for the U.S.

For Schleper, it will be her first World Cup start in two seasons. After missing the end of the 2006 season and all of 2007 while recovering from a torn ACL, Schleper opted not to ski the 2008 season in order to start a family. Husband Federico Gaxiola and son Lasse, born in January, will be on the sidelines in Soelden.

"We've had really good training all summer and it will be good for the team to go through a race set," said women's head coach Jim Tracy. "Soelden is not a super hard hill to begin the year on, but it's not an easy one either. There are at least five gates on the steep section that you have to be on. That's where this race is usually decided."

To prepare, the Team has been training at Pitztal, a nearby glacier with a steep pitch comparable to Soelden.

"Pitztal is probably the best place around to train at this point in the season. The girls are all in great shape and are excited to get things going. We'll fire it up here and then really get into the season with Aspen over Thanksgiving," Tracysaid.

Warm temperatures have closed all training in Soelden prior to the race, but coaches say there is plenty of snow on the slope and that colder fronts are on the way.

"They're calling for some cold weather leading up to race weekend," said Rearick. "They have plenty of snow on that slope.

It's really wide, so there's room to do some (snow) farming.

They'll likely fire up the guns whenever they get the opportunity. We'll race."