NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Team Season Recap

Published on April 11, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


TEAM USA SEASON IN REVIEW: Recording 30 wins, earning the National Team Development Program's fifth consecutive berth in the North American Hockey League's Robertson Cup Playoffs, and posting a 7-4 mark in international competition, highlighted the U.S. National Under-17 Team's accomplishments in the 2007-08 campaign.

Under the guidance of head coach Ron Rolston, Team USA registered second-place finishes at the 2007 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in Dmitrov, Russia (Nov. 9-11), the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ontario (Dec. 29 - Jan. 4), and the 2008 Under-18 Vlad Dzurilla Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia (Feb. 7-9). Team USA took fourth in the NAHL North Division regular-season standings.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: Team USA won 18 games when it tallied at least four goals in 2007-08 ... Thirteen of the U.S. National Under-17 Team's 30 wins this year came in games it scored five or more goals ... Team USA received game-winning goals from 17 different players ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team's longest winning streak of the season occurred between Jan. 26 and Feb. 7, when it twice defeated Traverse City (Jan. 26, 29) and then skated past Germany (Feb. 7) and Switzerland (Feb. 8) ... A total of 16 players from the 2007-08 U.S. National Under-17 Team have verbally committed to play NCAA Division I college hockey.

MORIN AND D'AMIGO RECOGNIZED IN AHL ALL-STAR GAME: Forwards Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, N.Y.) and Jeremy Morin (Auburn, N.Y.) both participated as RBC Future All-Stars in the 2008 American Hockey All-Star Classic (Jan. 27) in Binghamton, N.Y.

CLEMENTE GAINS NAHL WEEKLY HONOR: Netminder Michael Clemente (Great Falls, Va.) was named the NAHL North Division Player of the Week (Feb. 25) after he turned away 57 of 58 shots in two games. He made 17 saves in a 2-1 triumph over Marquette (Feb. 23) and stopped all 40 shots he saw in a 2-0 victory at Alpena (Feb. 24).

TRIPLE THREAT UP FRONT: Ryan Bourque (Boxford, Mass.), Jeremy Morin and Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, N.J.) combined to tally 103 points (63-40) for the U.S. National Under-17 Team this season. Morin finished as the squad's point leader with 46 (28-18), Palmieri ranked fourth with 30 points (20-10) and Bourque was seventh with 27 points (15-12).

In addition, the threesome has combined to tally 51 points (23-28) since joining the U.S. National Under-18 Team at Ohio State (Jan. 11) - a span of 21 games. Morin has totaled 26 points (14-12), Palmieri has chipped in 14 (7-7) and Bourque owns 11 (2-9) during the trio's stint with the U.S. National Under-18 Team.

GOLEMBIEWSKI LETHAL ON THE POWER PLAY: Zach Golembiewski (St. Clair, Mich.) tallied six goals with a man advantage in the 2007-08 slate, good for second on the club. He was third among Team USA point getters with 32 (13-19).

SHORE RACKS UP POINTS: Drew Shore (Denver, Colo.) led the U.S. National Under-17 Team with 25 assists this season, while ranking second on the team with 38 points. The forward also netted three shorthanded markers, good for second on the squad.

D'AMIGO A CONSTANT IN THE LINEUP: Jerry D'Amigo suited up for each of the U.S. National Under-17 Team's 64 games this year, a feat only he achieved. He compiled six points (2-4) in his last six games, and amassed 28 points (11-17) on the season.

TREAIS A RELIABLE SOURCE OF OFFENSE: A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills., Mich.) contributed 29 points (12-17) in 2007-08, good for a share of fifth on the team's point chart. He netted five power-play goals and one game-winning tally.

LYNCH PROVIDES TIMELY GOALS: Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) paced Team USA with five game-winning goals, and totaled 25 points (19-6).

YOUTH A STRENGTH ON BLUE LINE: Nick Mattson (Chanhassen, Minn.) turned in 20 points (1-19) this year, good for first among Team USA's defensive corp. Born on Oct. 25, 1991, Mattson is the the second-youngest player on the the U.S. National Under-17 Team. Only Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich.), who was born on Dec. 5, 1991, is younger. Fowler ranked third on the club's points list for defensemen with 14 (2-12).

MAXWELL STRONG BETWEEN THE PIPES: Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) led the U.S. National Under-17 Team in games (26), minutes (1,528), wins (12) and saves (672). The goaltender posted one shutout against Canada's Team Atlantic (Dec. 29) at the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ontario.

Maxwell has also appeared in eight games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team this season, where he owns a 5-2-1 record, a 1.72 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He added a 3-0 blanking of Marquette (March 21) to push his season shutout total to two.

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.

- In the 11-year history of the National Team Development Program, players from 27 states have donned the Team USA uniform. During the 2007-08 season, 15 different states were represented between the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams.

Check out the U.S. National Team Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from April 11, 2008


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