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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-18 Team Returns Home for Three-Game Weekend

February 21, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team will host two North American Hockey League opponents during a three-game home stand this weekend at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. Team USA will take on the Marquette Rangers on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 23-24) at 7 p.m. EST and the Alpena IceDiggers on Sunday (Feb. 25) at 3 p.m.

U.S. HEAD COACH RON ROLSTON: Ron Rolston is in his third season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has amassed a career record with the NTDP of 108-50-11-6 (w-l-t-otl). Rolston was an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks at Lake Superior State University, Clarkson University, Harvard University and Boston College prior to joining the NTDP. Recently, Rolston served as the head coach of the bronze-medal-winning U.S. National Junior Team that competed in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Leksand and Mora, Sweden.

U.S. HEAD COACH RON ROLSTON ON THE WEEKEND AHEAD: "This weekend will be good for our guys to get back into competition after a few weeks off. We only play nine more games before the world championship, so we need to take advantage of each opportunity to work on our overall play."

GAME NOTES - The U.S. National Under-18 Team is 9-0-1 versus NAHL opponents this season, with its only blemish coming in an overtime loss to the Traverse City North Stars on Jan. 12 ... U.S. forward James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) has tallied 15 points (9-6) in seven NAHL games this season.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM NOTES: U.S. assistant captain Teddy Ruth (Naperville, Ill.) is expected to miss this weekend's action due to injury. Ruth will be replaced on the blue line by U.S. National Under-17 Team member Ryan Grimshaw (Rochester, N.Y.). Grimshaw, who played two games earlier in the season with the U.S. National Under-18 Team, joins former U.S. National Under-17 Team teammate Vinny Saponari (Powder Springs, Ga.) on the Under-18 squad.

EVERYTHING MUST GO: USA Hockey's NTDP is selling off new and used top-of-the-line hockey equipment stock during Saturday and Sunday's (Feb. 24-25) games. The items for sale include a large amount of players' protective equipment, which will be sold at a deeply discounted price in comparison to retail outlets.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team returns to the NCAA scene when it travels to Bemidji, Minn., to take on College Hockey America's Bemidji State University on Friday and Saturday, (March 2-3) at Glas Fieldhouse. Both games are set for 8:35 p.m. starts. The contests against the Beavers will be the last NCAA games of the season for the U.S. National Under-18 Team.

LAST WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team were crowned champions of the 2007 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament in Most, Czech Republic, after compiling a 4-0-0 record in the event. Team USA topped the Czech Republic (3-1), Finland (3-2 in a shootout), Sweden (3-2 in overtime) and Russia (3-2 in a shootout). vanRiemsdyk led the U.S. with six points (4-2) and Josh Unice (Toledo, Ohio) was the top goaltender of the event. Unice finished with a .946 save percentage in three starts during the event. The international competition was the final tune-up for the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, to be played in Rauma and Tampere, Finland, from April 12-22, 2007.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Boston College sophomore forward Nathan Gerbe (Oxford, Mich./2003-05) was named the Hockey East Conference Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 18. Gerbe recorded four goals and seven points, including consecutive three-point nights during a two-game sweep of No. 5 University of Maine ... University of Minnesota freshman forward Michael Carman (Apple Valley, Minn./2004-06) recorded two goals on Saturday night (Feb. 17) to lead the Gophers past Colorado College.

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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