NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Team Returns to NAHL Action This Weekend

Published on February 14, 2007 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The National Under-17 will look to continue its longest unbeaten streak of the season (5 games) when it hosts the Alpena IceDiggers for a North American Hockey League North Division contest on Sunday, February 18 at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Sunday's tilt will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST after originally being slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.

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 118-70-10-5 (W-L-T-OTL). 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. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES ON THE WEEK AHEAD: "We will look to carry our momentum from last week's international event back into NAHL play. Down the stretch toward the NAHL playoffs we have limited home games, so it will be important to take advantage of the home ice on Sunday."

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will play 11 of its final 13 NAHL games on the road. Team USA will visit all four NAHL North Division opponents in the final stretch of the regular season.

THE LAST MEETING VS. ALPENA: The last time these two squads met (Feb. 1) the U.S. National Under-17 Team recorded its first shut-out of the season thanks to the solid netminding of Adam Murray (Anchorage, Alaska). In his NTDP debut Murray stopped all 40 shots he faced and Team USA received goals from Colin Reddin (Corona Del Mar, Calif.), Patrick Gaul (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Sam Lofquist (Faribault, Minn.) to earn the 3-0 road victory.

GAME NOTES - ALPENA: The IceDiggers currently occupy second place in the NAHL's North Division with 62 points through 47 games. Overall, Alpena stands in fifth place overall in the league trailing Mahoning Valley, St. Louis, Fargo-Moorhead, and Sante Fe ... Alpena forwards Todd Rudasill, Drew Pierson, and Nolan Craner rank in the top 10 of NAHL scoring. Rudasill (25-47-72 points) ranks second amongst league scorers while Pierson (23-31-54 points) and Craner (19-35-54 points) are tied for eighth in overall scoring. IceDiggers forward Erik Peterson (10-33-43 points) also ranks in the top 25 as it relates to scoring ... Alpena's power-play unit is tops in the NAHL with a 22.16% conversion rate ... Alpena is currently in the midst of a three game losing streak. The three game swoon is only the second streak of three straight losses during the 2006-07 IceDiggers campaign.

LAST WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team completed a week in Piestany, Slovakia, undefeated to capture the 2007 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Four Nations Tournament. Team USA finished atop a field that included the national under-18 teams from Germany, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Fourteen members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team recorded a least one point in tournament play. USA goaltender Nick Maricic (Alta Loma, Calif.) recorded the most saves (54) of any netminder in the tournament.

UP NEXT: The Under-17 Team will host NAHL-leading Mahoning Valley on Tuesday, February 20, at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. The contest versus the Phantoms will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST. The following weekend (Feb. 23-25) the National Team will head north to Traverse City, Mich., for a three game set versus the North Stars.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: NTDP alumni are currently leading NCAA Division I and the Ontario Hockey League in scoring. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich./2001-03), a 21 year-old senior, leads all of college hockey with 51 points (14-37) in 32 games. Hensick's 37 assists also leads the nation. Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./2004-06) of the London Knights has regained the OHL scoring lead in his rookie campaign. Kane has tallied 114 points (51-63) in 47 games with the Knights this season.

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 February 14, 2007


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