NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Team Returns Home To Host The Mahoning Valley Phantoms

Published on October 18, 2006 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will return home for a game versus the Mahoning Valley Phantoms on Friday (Oct. 20) at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube (Ann Arbor, Mich.). Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT. This will mark the third contest between the two clubs in Ann Arbor during the 2006 season, with the Phantoms winning the previous two match-ups.

U.S. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES: John Hynes is in his fourth season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has amassed a career record with the NTDP of 106-54-2-8 (W-L-OTL-T). Hynes has earned a gold (2006) and a silver medal (2004) at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championships as a head coach and a gold (2002) as an assistant. In 2005, Hynes led the U.S. National Under-17 Team to a first-place NAHL North Division regular-season finish and a North Division playoff championship, marking the first time this double feat was accomplished by the NTDP. Prior to his arrival in Ann Arbor, he spent time as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Wisconsin.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM vs. MAHONING VALLEY: (0-2-0) 09/29/06 Mahoning Valley 5 @ U.S. National Under-17 Team 4 09/30/06 Mahoning Valley 8 @ U.S. National Under-17 Team 6

U.S. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES ON THE WEEKEND AHEAD: "All season we've put up decent offensive numbers but have been a little sloppy defensively. That was especially the case the first time around versus Mahoning Valley. Learning from the mistakes we made in the past few weeks will put us in a better position to win. I'm excited about our team's opportunity to go out and play well this weekend. It's another chance to show what we've learned and to grow as a team."

GAME NOTES: Team USA and the Phantoms have combined to score 23 goals in their two previous meetings this season ... Mahoning Valley has five wins, five losses, and one tie through 11 games this season. All five of the Phantoms' wins have come on the road ... U.S. forward Kelen Corkum (Newbury, Mass.) will not play this weekend due to injury.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: Forward Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie, Minn.) continues to set the pace offensively for the U.S. National Under-17 Team with seven points through eight games this season. Kristo and Justin Florek (Marquette, Mich.) are tied for the team lead in goals (4). Florek, Vinny Saponari (Powder Springs, Ga.), and Jordan Schroeder (Prior Lake, Minn.) are tied for second in points with five points each. Saponari and Schreoder are tied for the team lead in assists (4).... The 2006-07 U.S. National Under-17 Team is comprised of 23 players from 10 different states. Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota are the leading producers of new NTDP players for this year's U.S. National Under-17 Team. Each of the three states is the home of four National Team players.

LAST WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team split a weekend series on the road versus NAHL north division foe Marquette at Lakeview Arena (Marquette, Mich.). After dropping Friday's (Oct. 13) match by a score of 5-0, Team USA was able to rebound with a 4-3 overtime victory on Saturday (Oct. 14) to put an end to its six-game losing streak.

After failing to find the net on Friday evening versus the Rangers, the Under-17 Team recorded a win with a strong team effort the following evening. Four different forwards found the back of the net and strong goaltending from Nick Maricic (Alta Loma, Calif.) proved to be the difference.

Marquette, Mich., native and Team USA forward Justin Florek recorded his fourth goal of the season in his homecoming. Robbie Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) and Danny Kristo also added tallies in regulation for the National Team.

With the game knotted at three, Team USA forward David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.) needed only 50 seconds of the extra session to beat Rangers goaltender Stephen Ritter to seal the 4-3 victory for his team.

"I'm really proud of the way our kids kept coming tonight," said U.S. Head Coach John Hynes. "They didn't get discouraged when Marquette tied the game at 2-2 and 3-3. This victory is a real step in helping this team learn what it takes to win tight games."

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will get a week off following the game with Mahoning Valley. Team USA's next action is scheduled for Wednesday, November 1, when it hosts the Alpena Ice Diggers at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

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 eight years NTDP players have been eligible for the draft, 124 players have been selected, including the number one overall selection in both 2000 (Rick DiPietro) and 2006 (Erik Johnson).

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North American Hockey League Stories from October 18, 2006


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