U.S. Nat'l Under-18 Team Weekly
Published on March 20, 2008 under United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team concludes the home portion of its 2007-08 schedule against the Marquette Rangers this Friday (March 21) and Saturday (March 22) at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Friday's game will start at 7:30 p.m. EDT, while Saturday's contest will kick off at 7 p.m. EDT.
U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES: John Hynes is in his fifth season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has amassed a career record of 153-105-9-12 (W-L-T-OTL).
SEASON RESULTS AGAINST MARQUETTE: The U.S. National Under-18 Team and the Rangers will be squaring off for the first time of the 2007-08 campaign this weekend.
ABOUT THE RANGERS: Marquette (26-25-3) ranks fifth in the North American Hockey League North Division Standings with 54 points. Aaron Pietila is the Rangers' top point getter with 48 (17-31), but he has recently been sidelined due to injury. Josh Bussell ranks second on the squad with 42 points (21-21). Goaltenders Matt Brooker (15-9-1, 3.48, .899) and Beau Christian (11-16-2, 3.71, .894) have split time between the pipes for Marquette.
U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams have combined to field a 26-24-4 record in the NAHL North Division standings. Team USA (55 points) holds a slight lead over Marquette (54 points) and Traverse City (53 points) entering this weekend. The top four teams in the division will qualify for the NAHL playoffs, and the U.S. National Under-17 Team will represent the National Team Development Program if a playoff berth is solidified ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team is unbeaten in 11 of its last 14 games, and is in the midst of a three-game winning streak ... Team USA is averaging 4.29 goals per game in its last 14 contests, while allowing 2.64 gpg during the same stretch ... USA Hockey will honor the U.S. National Under-18 Team for Senior Night, prior to Saturday's game.
FOLLOWING THE U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM: Log on to www.nahl.com/b2.cfm to access B2 Networks, which provides live video broadcasts for each of Team USA's games against NAHL opponents.
WAAM TO BROADCAST SATURDAY'S GAME: In addition to the B2 Networks video broadcasts, Saturday's game vs. Marquette will be carried live on Ann Arbor radio station WAAM 1600. Joe Gagnon, host of the "Appliance Doctor," will provide play-by-play, while Dennis Hextall will offer color commentary. Hextall spent 12 years in the National Hockey League (1968-80) with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, California Seals, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals.
UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team travels to Kazan, Russia, where it will compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship on April 13-23.
SCHROEDER LEADING THE OFFENSE: Jordan Schroeder (Prior Lake, Minn.) continues to lead the U.S. National Under-18 Team with 46 points (19-27) after he netted seven points (5-2) in three games last week.
Not only is Schroeder pacing the U.S. National Under-18 Team in points, he finished second on the U.S. National Junior Team with eight points (1-7), and was tied for first among all players in assists at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic (Dec. 26-Jan. 5). Schroeder was the youngest player on the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team roster.
TRIPLE THREAT UP FRONT: Ryan Bourque (Boxford, Mass.), Jeremy Morin (Auburn, N.Y.) and Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, N.J.) have combined to tally 103 points (63-40) for the U.S. National Under-17 Team this season. The trio has combined to tally 48 points (20-28) since joining the U.S. National Under-18 Team at Ohio State (Jan. 11) - a span of 18 games. Morin has recorded 20 points (13-12), including seven power-play goals and one game-winning marker. Bourque has contributed 11 points (2-9), including two power-play goals. Palmieri has compiled 12 points (5-7), including one tally with a man advantage, and one game-winning goal.
WARSOFSKY DYNAMIC FROM THE BLUE LINE: In addition to leading Team USA's defensive corps with 32 points (9-23), David Warsofsky (Marshfield, Mass.) ranks second behind Schroeder on the squad's overall points list. The blueliner has filed 11 points (1-10) in his last 13 games, including three assists last week.
KRISTO AND CZARNIK HAVE SCORING TOUCH: Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Robbie Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) are second and third on Team USA's scoring list with 18 and 15 goals, respectively. Both players have accumulated 30 points this season, which is good for fourth on the squad.
NATIONAL TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TRYOUTS: USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Tryout Camp will be held on March 22-25 at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, Mich. A total of 46 players from the 1992 age group will be in attendance at the camp.
NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING'S MID-TERM RANKINGS: Twelve players with ties to the NTDP were recognized as potential draft picks for the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft, according to NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings (Jan. 9). NHL Central Scouting will announce its final rankings in April. The 2008 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 21-22 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario.
ABOUT THE NTDP: Founded in 1996, USA Hockey's National Team Development Program was created to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice. Located in Ann Arbor, Mich., the 46 players in the program are split into two squads - the U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams.
- In the nine years NTDP players have been eligible for the draft, 141 players have been selected, including the number one overall selection in 2000 (Rick DiPietro), 2006 (Erik Johnson) and 2007 (Patrick Kane).
- A total of 16 players with connections to the NTDP were selected in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, including five players in the first round.
- Patrick Kane and James vanRiemsdyk became the first two American-born players selected first and second in the 2007 NHL Draft.
- Kane's selection, added with the St. Louis Blues' choice of Erik Johnson in the 2006 NHL Draft, represented the first time American-born players have been chosen first overall in consecutive years.
- A total of 23 players from the 2007-08 U.S. National Under-18 Team have verbally committed to play NCAA Division I college hockey.
- In the 11-year history of the National Team Development Program, players from 27 states have donned the Team USA uniform. This season 15 different states are represented between the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams.
?NTDP WELL REPRESENTED IN THE NHL: A
NTDP WELL REPRESENTED IN NHL: A total of 44 former players from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program have appeared in at least one National Hockey League game this season.
NHL NOTES: Chicago Blackhawk forward Patrick Kane (2004-06) is first among NHL rookies with 63 points (17-46) ... Peter Mueller (2003-05) of the Phoenix Coyotes ranks third among NHL newcomers with 50 points (22-28) ... Erik Johnson (2004-06) has compiled 28 points (4-24) for the St. Louis Blues, good for third among the league's rookie defensemen ... Jack Johnson (2003-05) of the Los Angeles Kings is third among rookie blueliners in ice time per game (21:41).
NCAA DIVISION I TEAMS TAP NTDP PLAYERS: The number of former NTDP players suiting up for NCAA Division I ice hockey programs has grown to 67 in the 2007-08 season. Boston University (7) has the highest number of former NTDP players on its roster.
NCAA NOTES: Boston University goaltender Brett Bennett (2004-06) crafted a 2.30 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in the Terriers' Hockey East quarterfinal playoff series against the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (March 14-16) ... University of Michigan center Kevin Porter (2002-04) has been recognized as one of the three finalists for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year award.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2008
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