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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-18 Team Weekly

October 31, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team (5-6-1-1) hosts Traverse City at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube this Friday (Nov. 2) and Saturday (Nov. 3). The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.

U.S. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES: John Hynes is in his fifth season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has amassed a career record of 132-91-9-8 (W-L-T-OTL).

COACH HYNES ON THE WEEKEND: "We are looking forward to getting back into junior hockey after five straight games against college teams. It will be good to be back at home against a challenging opponent."

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST TRAVERSE CITY: The U.S. National Under-18 Team and the North Stars will be meeting for the first time of the 2007-08 campaign this weekend. Last season, the U.S. National Under-18 Team went 3-1-0 vs. Traverse City, including a 5-2 win in the last encounter between the two teams at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube on Mar. 10, 2007.

ABOUT THE NORTH STARS: Traverse City (6-4-1) is sixth in the North American Hockey League North Division standings with 13 points. The North Stars are coming off a 6-5 win over first-place Mahoning Valley (Oct. 27) in Traverse City.

Matt Hughes leads the team in scoring with 12 points (7-5), including three power-play goals and three game-winners. Nathan Urbaniak (4-7) and Harrison Niemann (2-9) are not far behind Hughes in the North Stars' points race. Miles Williams (4-1-1, 3.16, .889) and Brandon Stephenson (2-3-2, 2.67, .896) have shared ice time in net.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-18 Team snapped a four-game losing streak to NCAA Division I opponents with its 2-2 stalemate at St. Cloud State University last Sunday (Oct. 28) ... Jordan Schroeder (Prior Lake, Minn.) now has three goals and two multi-point games this year after recording two goals at St. Cloud State ... Three of Team USA's four Minnesota players -- Jordan Schroeder (2g), Danny Kristo (1a) (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Sam Lofquist (1a) (Faribault, Minn.) -- combined to register four of the squad's seven scoring points against Minnesota and St. Cloud State last weekend ... Lofquist, who tallied a power-play marker vs. Minnesota last Saturday (Oct. 27), is tied with Justin Florek (Marquette, Mich.) for first on the club in power-play goals (2) ... After each tallied an assist last Sunday, Vinny Saponari (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Patrick Gaul (Pittsburgh, Pa.) each have eight points on the season, good for a share of first on Team USA's scoring chart.

HAYES SELECTED TO U.S. JUNIOR SELECT TEAM: Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) has been chosen as one of 21 players to suit up for the 2007 U.S. Junior Select Team. The squad will compete at the 2007 World Junior A Challenge from Nov. 5-11 in Trail and Nelson, B. C. The lone non-USHL player on the roster, Hayes was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that finished second at the 2006 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka.

NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING RELEASES FALL RANKINGS: A total of 22 players from the U.S. National Under-18 Team were recognized as "Players to Watch" for the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft, according to NHL Central Scouting's fall rankings released last week. NHL Central Scouting will announce its midseason rankings in January before releasing its final rankings in April. The 2008 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 21-22 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario. The list of players from the U.S. National Under-18 Team highlighted in the rankings can be found in the attached PDF.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team travels to Huttwil, Switzerland, where it will play in the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament Nov. 7-11. Team USA faces Finland, Sweden and Switzerland in the event.

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.

Check out the U.S. National Team Statistics



North American Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2007


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