NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Team Travels North to Take on NAHL's Rangers

Published on March 21, 2007 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will continue its 11-game road trip with a pair of games in Marquette, Mich., when it takes on the Rangers this Friday (March 23) and Saturday (March 24). Both tilts are slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT at Lakeview Arena.

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 124-72-10-5 (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. Hynes will serve as head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team that will compete at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2007 - Jan. 5, 2008, in Liberec and Pardubic, Czech Republic.

U.S. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES ON THE WEEK AHEAD: "We need to have a solid performance on both ends of the ice this weekend. We're really looking forward to a good week of practice because we have to correct the mistakes we made a week ago. It's that time of the year when we need to put it all together as we head down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. That being said, I'm excited for our guys to play in some high-pressure games over the next month."

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team has clinched a berth in the NAHL playoffs ... Netminder Adam Murray (Anchorage, Alaska), who has won all four of his starts this season, will return to the lineup this weekend after missing the last four weeks due to an upper-body injury ... Kelen Corkum (Newbury, Mass.) will continue to be out of the lineup. Corkum recorded six points (3-3) in 27 games this season.

GAME NOTES - MARQUETTE: The U.S. National Under-17 Team has posted a 4-4 record versus the Rangers this season, including two victories at Lakeview Arena ... Marquette holds a 23-30-4 record on the season. The Rangers currently sit in fourth place in the NAHL North Division standings with 50 points.

LAST TIME OUT: The U.S. National Under-17 Team dropped a pair of road contests to NAHL opponent Mahoning Valley. The Phantoms claimed victories by 4-1 and 8-2 scores.

RACE TO THE ROBERTSON CUP: As the NAHL schedule heads into its final two weeks, the playoff picture is clearing up. The top four clubs from each of the league's three divisions (North, South, and Central) will advance to the divisional playoff round. As it currently stands, the NTDP would play second seeded Alpena, while top-seed Mahoning Valley would take on Marquette. The three divisional playoff champions, along with tournament host Fairbanks, will advance to the 2007 Robertson Cup National Championship Tournament. This year's national championship will be hosted by the Ice Dogs at the Big Dipper Ice Arena (Fairbanks, Ala.) beginning on May 3 and concluding with the championship game Saturday, May 6.

UP NEXT: The Under-17 Team will finish off its 2006-07 NAHL regular season campaign with a pair of road games in Boardman, Ohio. The National Team will take on league-leading Mahoning Valley on Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31 at the Boardman Ice Zone.

ON THE BIG STAGE: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will take on the NAHL's St. Louis Bandits on Tuesday, April 3, in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., with opening faceoff set for 7:30 p.m. (CDT). The game is a prelude to the NCAA Men's Frozen Four that will take place in the Scottrade Center on April 5 & 7. The Scottrade Center seats more than 21,000 fans and is home to the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. Tickets for the U.S. National Under-17 Team-St. Louis Bandits contest may be purchased at 636-536-4882 or at the door the night of the game. The game will not count in the NAHL standings as the NAHL regular season comes to a close on Sunday, April 1. The NAHL playoffs begin on Thursday, April 5.

ALUMNI UPDATE: Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./2004-06) of the London Knights was named the Ontario Hockey League Player of the Week for the week ending March 18, 2007. Kane, who captured the OHL scoring title with 145 points (62-83), tallied 11 points (5-6) in a two-game weekend series versus the Erie Otters ... Nathan Davis (Rocky River, Ohio/ 2002-04) of Miami University and T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich./2001-03) from the University of Michigan are top ten finalists for the 2007 Hobey Baker Memorial Award given out annually to college hockey's top player.

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 March 21, 2007


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