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U.S. National Team

National Team Development Program Weekly Update

February 1, 2012 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


U17 TEAM TURNS FOCUS TO VLAD DZURILLA: The U.S. National Under-17 Team is off this weekend as it turns its focus to the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia from Feb. 9-11. Team USA opens the tournament with a 7:30 a.m. EST tilt against Switzerland on Feb. 9. The following day (Feb. 10), the U.S. takes on Germany at 7:30 a.m. EST before closing out against Slovakia on Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. EST. The U.S. is the defending champion having won the tournament title last year. Team USA outscored its opponents 12-3 en route to the title.

U18 TEAM TAKES ON LAKE SUPERIOR STATE: The U.S. National Under-18 Team returns to action after enjoying last weekend off. Team USA takes on Lake Superior State University on Feb. 3 at 7:05 p.m. EST at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The National Team Development Program is 2-1-3 (W-L-T) all-time versus the Lakers. The last U.S. win (3-1) was on Dec. 16, 2006. This season, the U18's are 5-7-2 against collegiate competition.

U17's TOPPLE MUSKEGON, FALL TO DUBUQUE: Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) scored two goals, including the game winner in overtime, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team toppled the Muskegon Lumberjacks, 4-3, at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube on Jan. 27. After trailing, 3-1, in the third period, the U.S. scored three unanswered goals to claim the overtime victory. Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) turned aside 12 shots for Team USA in the win. Team USA is 2-1-0 (W-L-T) against its in-state rivals with two games remaining in the United States Hockey League regular season series. The following night (Jan. 28), Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.) and Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) each netted one goal, but the U.S. National Under-17 Team was handed a 5-2 loss by the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Curtis Frye (Northwood, N.H.) made 20 saves for Team USA in the loss. The U17's face the Fighting Saints once more in the regular season in Dubuque on March 31.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Forward Tyler Kelleher is riding a seven-game point streak (5-3) dating back to Dec. 17. Kelleher has now scored in 15 of 20 USHL contests and has 18 points (10-8) total on the season ... Tyler Motte had at least one point (2-1) in each game this past weekend (Jan. 27-28). The forward also notched the game-winning goal against Muskegon on Friday ... Forward Connor Chatham (Belleville, Ill.) has one point (1-2) in each of his last three games dating back to Jan. 21 ... Hunter Miska has won four of his last five starts in the USHL dating back to Dec. 15, 2011. The netminder has a 2.59 goals-against-average in that span.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Three players on the U.S. National Under-18 Team are tied for the lead in points against collegiate opponents. Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill./4-6), Stefan Matteau (Chicago, Ill./4-6) and Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif./3-7) all have ten points. Hartman and Kerdiles have skated in 14 games, while Matteau has played in 13 ... Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) sports a 3-3-0-1 (W-L-OTL-T) record with a 2.99 goals-against-average and .887 save percentage against college foes, while the other half of the Team USA netminding tandem, Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.), is 2-4-0-1 with a 3.37 GAA and .898 save percentage ... The Under-18 Team is scoring 2.64 goals per game against Division I and III opponents and allowing 3.21 goals per game ... Team USA has 405 shots on goal and has given up 420 in 14 games played versus college opponents.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Peoria Rivermen forward T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich./2001-03) scored one goal and collected one assist in the American Hockey League All-Star Game held on Monday (Jan. 30). Hensick's Team West earned an 8-7 shootout win ... Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (2004-06/Buffalo, N.Y.) was selected by fan vote as the winner of the 2012 National Hockey League Skills Competition Breakaway Challenge that took place on Jan. 28. Kane also netted a goal in the All-Star Game for Team Chara the following day (Jan. 29) ... Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (2003-05/Madison, Wis.) notched one goal and added two assists in the All-Star Game, helping lead Team Chara to a 12-9 victory on Jan. 29 ... Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter (2001-03/Madison, Wis.) recorded an assist for Team Chara in the All-Star Game (Jan. 29) ... Detroit Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard (Ogdensburg, N.Y./2001-02) stopped 11 of 14 shots in one period of action at the NHL All-Star Game (Jan. 29) ... The NTDP boasts 59 former skaters that have played in at least one game in the NHL. In the 2010-11 NHL season, more than 60 NTDP alumni skated in the NHL.

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