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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-18 Team Returns to NAHL Competition

March 6, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team hosts the Traverse City North Stars of the North American Hockey League on Friday and Saturday (March 9-10) at 7 p.m. EST.

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 111-52-11-6 (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: "We have a number of guys out of the lineup this weekend, so it will really force some of the players to compete in places they may be unfamiliar with. It will be good experience for our guys to work hard as a unit, no matter who is or is not in the lineup each night."

GAME NOTES VERSUS TRAVERSE CITY- The U.S. National Under-18 Team is 12-0-1 versus NAHL competition this season. The lone overtime loss came to the North Stars on Jan. 12, when Traverse City dropped Team USA by a 4-3 count in overtime at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube ... The North Stars are currently seven points out of the final playoff spot in the NAHL North Division, while Team USA currently sits in third place with ten games to play in the regular season ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team will play four NAHL contests before heading off to compete at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Rauma and Tampere, Finland, April 11-22.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM NOTES: Team USA assistant captain Teddy Ruth (Naperville, Ill.), leading scorer James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) and forward Mike Hoeffel (North Oaks, Minn.) will be out of the lineup due to injury ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team has added defenseman Tommy Cross (Simsbury, Conn.) to the lineup for this weekend. Cross, who played with the Under-18 Team at the 2006 Under-18 Four Nations Tournament in Sweden, competed this season at the Westminster School. In the National Hockey League Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings, Cross was ranked as the 10th best North American player available for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

LAST WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team dropped two games against NCAA Division I Bemidji State University in its final collegiate weekend series of the season. The Beavers topped Team USA by a 6-2 count on Friday (March 2) and a 3-2 score on Saturday (March 3). Justin Vaive (Buffalo, N.Y.) and C.J. Severyn (Beaver, Pa.) recorded tallies on Friday night, while Ryan Hayes (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) each scored a goal for Team USA on Saturday.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team will return to action on Friday and Saturday, March 23-24, when they take on the Springfield (Ill.) Jr. Blues of the NAHL. Game times are set for 7 p.m.

ALUMNI UPDATE: University of Nebraska Omaha forward Brandon Scero (Canton, Mich./2000-02) recorded four points (including a natural hat trick) on Saturday night (March 3) as the Mavericks swept the Bowling Green State University Falcons in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament ... Boston College forward Nathan Gerbe (Oxford, Mich./2003-05) was named the Hockey East CCM/Rbk Hockey Player of the Month for the month of February. Gerbe notched two game-winning tallies among his seven goals and added four assists to finish the month with 11 points for the 6-2-0 Eagles. Gerbe scored at least once in six games, including a highlight-reel goal in the Beanpot final, and registered a pair of three-point efforts in wins over No. 5 Maine.

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 6, 2007


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