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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Team Weekly

January 23, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team travels to the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan for a two-game set against the Traverse City North Stars this Friday (Jan. 25) and Saturday (Jan. 26) at Center Ice Arena. Both contests are slated to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET.

U.S. HEAD COACH RON ROLSTON: Ron Rolston is in his fourth season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has amassed a career record of 142-77-11-7 (W-L-T-OTL).

SEASON SERIES AGAINST THE NORTH STARS: The U.S. National Under-17 Team is 2-1 vs. Traverse City in the 2007-08 slate. Team USA picked up a 6-3 home victory over the North Stars on Oct. 5, and notched a 6-2 win at Center Ice Arena on Dec. 14. Traverse City came away with a 3-2 triumph in the last meeting between the two teams in Traverse City.

ABOUT TRAVERSE CITY: The North Stars are 11-18-8 overall, and rank sixth in the North American Hockey League North Division standings with 30 points.

Nathan Urbaniak is the top offensive producer for Traverse City up front with 35 points (14-21). Brandon Stephenson (4-11-3, 3.73, .876) has seen the bulk of the playing time (1156:59) for the North Stars in the 2007-08 slate, but Chris Paliafito (3-6-3, 3.22, .886) has also garnered 764 minutes of game action.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team went 3-1 at the North American Hockey League Showcase (Jan. 18-21) in Boardman, Ohio ... The U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams have combined to field a 19-17-2 record in the NAHL North Division standings, good for fifth place with 40 points. Team USA is just two points behind fourth-place Marquette. The top four teams in the division will qualify for the NAHL playoffs ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team has won 16 games when it tallies at least four goals ... Eleven of Team USA's 22 wins this year have come in games it scored five or more goals ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team has received game-winning goals from 12 different players in the 2007-08 campaign ... Team USA is on a three-game winning streak, which ties a season-high ... A total of 15 players from the 2007-08 U.S. National Under-17 Team have verbally committed to play NCAA Division I college hockey ... Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas), Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Jeremy Morin (Auburn, N.Y.) lead the U.S. National Under-17 Team with three game-winning goals ... David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.) has amassed six points (5g, 1a) in his first six games with the U.S. National Under-17 Team in 2007-08 ... Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) owns eight points (2g, 6a) during his 11 games with the U.S. National Under-17 Team this year ... Kevin McCarey (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) has chipped in three goals in his first four games with the U.S. National Under-17 Team this season ... Grant Scott (Sewickley, Pa.) has handed our three assists in his five games with the U.S. National Under-17 Team in the 2007-08 campaign ... Steven West (Milford, Mich.) has doled out two assists in his first four games with the U.S. National Under-17 Team this year.

MATTSON OFFENSIVE ON THE BLUE LINE: Nick Mattson (Chanhassen, Minn.) has compiled one goal and 16 assists this season after handing out two helpers at the NAHL Showcase (Jan. 18-21) in Boardman, Ohio. His 17 points ranks first among Team USA defensemen.

DUO STRONG IN NET: Adam Murray (Anchorage, Alaska) and Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) are a combined 8-4 in their last 12 games. Murray stopped 47 of the 48 he shots he faced in back-to-back wins over Marquette (Jan. 19, 21) at the NAHL Showcase in Boardman, Ohio. He secured his first shutout of the year Jan. 19, and followed that performance up by stopping 21 of 22 shots in a 4-1 victory Jan. 21. Maxwell is 6-2 in his last eight games and 12-10 overall this season. He recorded Team USA's other shutout in an 8-0 win over Canada's Team Atlantic (Dec. 29) at the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ontario.

MORIN AND D'AMIGO TO PARTICIPATE IN AHL ALL-STAR GAME: The Binghamton Senators and the American Hockey League have announced that Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, N.Y.) and Jeremy Morin have been selected as RBC Future All-Stars for the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic.

The RBC Future All-Stars will participate alongside the AHL All-Stars in select events during the 2008 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 27. Their scores in those events will count toward the total score for the evening.

Notes: The 2008 AHL All-Star Classic will take place at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, N.Y., on January 27-28, and will be televised live in the United States and Canada ... Tickets for the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic are available now by calling 607.722.7367.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-17 Team hosts the Traverse City North Stars next Tuesday (Jan. 29) at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Team USA then travels to Piestany, Slovakia, where it will compete in the Vlad Dzurilla Four Nations Tournament Feb. 6-11.

FOLLOWING THE U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM: Log on to www.nahl.com/b2.cfm to access B2 Networks, which provides live video broadcasts for each of Team USA's games against NAHL opponents.

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 nine years NTDP players have been eligible for the draft, 141 players have been selected, including the number one overall selection in 2000 (Rick DiPietro), 2006 (Erik Johnson) and 2007 (Patrick Kane).

- A total of 16 players with connections to the NTDP were selected in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, including five players in the first round.

- Patrick Kane and James vanRiemsdyk became the first two American-born players selected first and second in the 2007 NHL Draft.

- Kane's selection, added with the St. Louis Blues' choice of Erik Johnson in the 2006 NHL Draft, represented the first time American-born players have been chosen first overall in consecutive years.

- In the 11-year history of the National Team Development Program, players from 27 states have donned the Team USA uniform. This season 15 different states are represented between the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams.

HOCKEY WEEKEND ACROSS AMERICA: USA Hockey will lead the first-ever Hockey Weekend Across America, a three-day nationwide celebration of the sport set for Feb. 15-17, 2008.

Each of the three days associated with Hockey Weekend Across America has a theme, including Friday's Wear Your Jersey to School Day, Saturday's Bring A Friend to the Rink Day and Sunday's Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes Day.

A special website - HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com - has been established to act as the information hub for the event. It features material for download, including the event logo and poster. Additional information will continue to be added, including highlights of activities planned in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America from around the country.

Notes: All rinks in the country will receive two printed copies of the Hockey Weekend Across America poster. Anyone may download the artwork for the poster at HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com and have posters printed for use in conjunction with the event ... All NHL, minor professional, NCAA Division I and III men's and women's, United States Hockey League and North American Hockey League teams playing at home during Hockey Weekend Across America will receive Hockey Weekend Across America pucks to utilize as part of a ceremonial puck drop to help celebrate the event ... Questions regarding Hockey Weekend Across America may be e-mailed to HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica@usahockey.org.

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