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National Team Development Program Weekly Update

October 17, 2012 - United States Hockey League (USHL) U.S. National Team

U18 TEAM RETURNS TO COLLEGE ACTION: The U.S. National Under-18 Team heads back on the collegiate trail after a one game stop in the United States Hockey League. Team USA first takes on Cornell University on Friday, Oct. 19, at James Lynah Arena in Ithaca, N.Y. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The last time these two squads met, the Big Red skated away with a 6-0 victory over the U.S. on Oct. 23, 2010. The following night (Oct. 20), Team USA visits the Campus Center Ice Arena in Oswego, N.Y., home of Oswego State University. Game time is set for 7 p.m. It marks the first meeting of the teams since 2008 when the U.S. scored an overtime victory, 4-3, over the Lakers.

U17 TEAM TRAVELS TO IOWA FOR TWO: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, Oct. 19, for the first of two road games this weekend. The matchup against the Buccaneers starts at 8:05 p.m. at Buccaneer Arena. After a day off on Saturday (Oct. 20), Team USA makes its way to Young Arena in Waterloo, Iowa, for a 4:05 p.m. EDT showdown on Sunday, Oct. 21, with the Black Hawks.

U18s TRIPPED UP BY NORTH DAKOTA: The U.S. National Under-18 Team battled hard with the University of North Dakota, but ultimately fell, 6-4, on Oct. 12, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. North Dakota jumped out to a three-goal lead after one period of play. NTDP alumni Derek Forbort (Duluth, Minn./2009-10) and Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor, Calif./2009-11) each scored once in the frame. Sean Malone (West Seneca, N.Y.) put the U.S. on the board early in the second frame before North Dakota responded with two more goals, both with the man advantage. Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) notched his own power play goal before time expired to pull the U.S. closer, down 5-2. Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.) each notched goals in the third, but an insurance goal scored by Grimaldi put the game away for UND.

U18s CLIPPED BY BEMIDJI STATE: The U.S. National Under-18 Team took a two-goal lead against Bemidji State University into the second period, but couldn't hold on and fell to the Beavers, 4-3, on Oct. 13, at the Sanford Center. Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Tyler Kelleher gave Team USA the two-goal advantage heading into the first intermission before Bemidji State erupted for three shorthanded goals in the second to take the lead, 3-2. Ryan Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) tied the game late in the second to set up a deciding final period. With less than one minute remaining, the Beavers scored the eventual game-winning tally, despite Team USA's best efforts to tie the game after pulling its netminder.

U18s DROPPED BY MUSKEGON ON TUESDAY: The U.S. National Under-18 Team dropped its first regular season USHL game last night (Oct. 16), 4-2, to the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Tyler Kelleher had two goals in the loss for Team USA. The Lumberjacks seized the lead midway through the first before Kelleher struck back on the power play in the second period. Three straight goals by Muskegon followed as the Lumberjacks took control of the game, up 4-1, after 40 minutes of play. Kelleher fired a shot into the net with 20 seconds remaining in the final frame to cut the Muskegon lead in half, but it would be as close as Team USA would come, eventually dropping the game 4-2.

U17s HANDED BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team took one point out of four in the weekend series versus the Chicago Steel last weekend (Oct. 12-13). Two goals by Joe Wegwerth (Brewster, N.Y.) gave Team USA a 2-0 advantage on Oct. 12, before the Steel took the lead behind three straight tallies. Dakota Joshua (Dearborn, Mich.) tied the game to force an overtime, where the U.S. eventually fell, 4-3. Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) made 33 saves in the overtime loss. The following night (Oct. 13), Anders Bjork (Mequon, Wis.) and Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) scored two goals each, but the U17s were toppled by the Steel, 9-5.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Forward Tyler Kelleher is on a three-game scoring streak. He now has four goals in his past three contests, which include games against collegiate and USHL opponents ... The U18s have eight power play goals in 47 chances (17.0 percent) ... Team USA is killing off penalties at an 81.0 percent clip ... The U18s have outshot their opponents, 266-206, so far this season in six contests, and trail its opponents by just one goal overall, 29-28.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: The U17s welcome netminder Eric Schierhorn (Anchorage, Alaska) to its roster this weekend for USHL tilts in Iowa. He comes to the National Team Development Program from the Russell Stover Midget Major program in Missouri. Schierhorn was most recently on the U.S. Under-17 Select Team that captured first place at the Five Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic in August and also participated in the Warren Strelow National Goaltending Camp in the summer ... Forward Joe Wegwerth has three goals in his past two games dating back to Oct. 12 ... Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.) has recorded three assists in his past two games. The forward is also a plus-2 dating back to Oct. 12 ... Blueliner Brandon Fortunato (North Hills, N.Y.) has assists in back-to-back games and is tied for fifth in points (0-3) by a defensemen in the USHL ... Forward Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) remains tied for fifth in scoring (4) within the USHL this season ... The U17s have four power play goals in 28 chances (14.3 percent) ... Team USA is killing off penalties at an 88.5 percent clip ... The U17s have been outshot 242-277 so far this season in eight contests and trail in goals scored, 37-34 in favor of the opposition.

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United States Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2012


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