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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Team Weekly

February 20, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team resumes North American Hockey League competition with this Friday (Feb. 22) and Saturday (Feb. 23) when it hosts the Marquette Rangers at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Opening facoeff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST Friday and 7 p.m. EST Saturday. Team USA concludes the weekend with a contest against the Alpena IceDiggers on Sunday (Feb. 24) at Northern Lights Arena. The game will start at 5 p.m. EST.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 HEAD COACH RON ROLSTON: Ron Rolston is in his fourth season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has compiled a career record of 146-80-11-7 (W-L-T-OTL).

SEASON SERIES AGAINST THE RANGERS: The U.S. National Under-17 Team is 4-4 against Marquette this season. Team USA in winless in two prior games vs. the Rangers at home and 2-2 in Marquette. Additionally, the U.S. National Under-17 Team defeated the Rangers twice at the NAHL North Division Showcase (Jan. 19-21). in Boardman, Ohio.

ABOUT MARQUETTE: Marquette owns a 23-20-3 overall record, and ranks fourth in the NAHL North Division standings with 49 points.

Aaron Pietila, who is the Rangers top point getter with 47 (17-30), suffered an injury during the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament (Feb. 17-19), and will not play this weekend. James Gallagher is second on the team with 35 points (13-22). Matt Brooker (15-8-1, 3.37, .903) and Beau Christian (8-12-0, 3.79, .895) have split time between the pipes for Marquette.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams have combined to field a 21-18-2 record in the NAHL North Division standings, good for fifth place with 44 points. Team USA is five points behind fourth-place Marquette, but it has played five less games than the Rangers. The top four teams in the division will qualify for the NAHL playoffs ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team took second at the 2008 Under-18 Vlad Dzurilla Tournament (Feb. 7-9) in Piestany, Slovakia ... A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) led Team USA with four points (2-2) at the Vlad Dzurilla Tournament ... William Wrenn (Anchorage, Alaska) was recognized as the tournament's best defenseman after he finished with two assists and a +2 rating ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team finished 9-5 during international competition in 2007-08 ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team has won 17 games when it tallies at least four goals in 2007-08 ... Twelve of Team USA's 24 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 17 different players in the 2007-08 campaign ... 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 apiece.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-17 Team hosts the Traverse City North Stars in its final home game of the regular season next Wednesday (Feb. 27) at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.

?MATTSON OFFENSIVE ON THE BLUE LINE: Nick Mattson (Chanhassen, Minn.) has compiled a team-best 20 points (1-19) this season after handing out one assist at the Vlad Dzurilla Four Nations Tournament (Feb. 7-9) in Piestany, Slovakia. Born on Oct. 25, 1991, Mattson is the the second-youngest player on the the U.S. National Under-17 Team. Only Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich.), who was born on Dec. 5, 1991, is younger.

TREAIS STEPPING UP: A.J. Treais has amassed a team-best seven points (3-4) in his last five games. The forward ranks sixth on the U.S. National Under-17 Team with 25 points (10-15), and is tied for third on the squad with five power-play goals.

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.

NATIONAL TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TRYOUTS: USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Tryout Camp will be held on March 22-25 at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, Mich. A total of 46 players from the 1992 age group will be in attendance at the camp.

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.

- 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.

- 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.

Check out the U.S. National Team Statistics



North American Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2008


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