USHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Men's National U18 Team Announced

Published on March 31, 2010 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


ANN ARBOR, Mich. - USA Hockey today announced the 22-player roster for its 2010 U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team that will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Under-18 Championship April 13-23 in Minsk and Bobruisk, Belarus.

Highlighting the roster are five returnees from the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team that captured the gold medal at the 2009 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship in Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn. Goaltender Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.), who was named to the media all-star team at last year's event, will return between the pipes. Defensemen Adam Clendening (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich.), and forwards Matthew Nieto (Long Beach, Calif.) and Jason Zucker (Las Vegas, Nev.) will also be competing in their second IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship.

In addition, Campbell and Zucker were also part of the U.S. National Junior Team that won the gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask., in January.

Team USA will carry seven defensemen at the 2010 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship including Clendening, Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn.), Derek Forbort (Duluth, Minn.), Stephen Johns (Wampum, Pa.), Merrill, Frankie Simonelli (Bensenville, Ill.) and Jarred Tinordi (Millersville, Md.).

Nieto and Zucker highlight the group of 13 forwards, which also includes Bill Arnold (Needham, Mass.), Chase Balisy (Fullerton, Calif.), Tyler Biggs (Cincinnati, Ohio), Connor Brickley (Everett, Mass.), Austin Czarnik (Washington, Mich.), Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor, Calif.), Luke Moffatt (Paradise Valley, Ariz.), Bryan Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Brandon Saad (Gibsonia, Pa.), Nick Shore (Denver, Colo.) and Austin Watson (Ann Arbor, Mich.).

Team USA will be backstopped by goaltenders Campbell and Andy Iles (Ithaca, N.Y.).

The U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team will open tournament play against Sweden on April 13 at Bobruisk Arena at 7 p.m. local time (noon EDT). Team USA's full schedule can be found below.

NOTES: The U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team will be led by head coach Kurt Kleinendorst, who will be participating in his first IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship. John Wroblewski, Tim Taylor, Joe Exter and Cole Bassett will serve as assistant coaches for Team USA ... Twenty of the 22 players on Team USA's roster come from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Connor Brickley plays for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League, while Austin Watson skates for the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes ... The roster includes 20 players born in 1992 and two from the 1993 birth year. Forward Tyler Biggs, born April 30, 1993, is Team USA's youngest player, while goaltender Jack Campbell, born Jan. 9, 1992, is the oldest ... Biggs and Rocco Grimaldi were part of the U.S. National Under-17 Team that captured the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge title in Timmins, Ont., in January ... The United States has captured medals at a record six consecutive IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championships (gold: 2005, 2006, 2009; silver: 2004, 2007; bronze: 2008). Additionally, no other country has more gold medals than Team USA's four since the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship's inception in 1999 ... In addition to the United States, the tournament includes Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland ... Team USA will play two pre-tournament games against Belarus and Slovakia in Bobruisk and Soligorsk, Belarus.

Check out the U.S. National Team Statistics

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