NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Nat'l Under-17 Team Travels to Marquette for Weekend Series with NAHL's Rangers

Published on January 10, 2007 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team travels to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to take on the Marquette Rangers on Friday (Jan. 12) and Saturday (Jan. 13) at Lakeview Arena in Marquette, Mich. Both start times are set for 7 p.m. EST.

U.S. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES: John Hynes is in his fourth season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He has amassed a career record with the NTDP of 114-67-8-5 (W-L-T-OTL). Hynes has earned a gold (2006) and a silver medal (2004) at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championships as a head coach and a gold (2002) as an assistant. In 2005, Hynes led the U.S. National Under-17 Team to a first-place NAHL North Division regular-season finish and a North Division playoff championship, marking the first time this double feat was accomplished by the NTDP. Prior to his arrival in Ann Arbor, he spent time as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Wisconsin.

U.S. HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES ON THE WEEK AHEAD: "We are really excited for the opportunity to test ourselves against NAHL opponents coming off the Four Nations event. We are hoping to continue the momentum we gained in having some success at the event and look forward to the challenge of making up some ground in the league."

GAME NOTES - MARQUETTE: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will battle the Rangers in four of its next five games;, two games will be held in Marquette and two in Ann Arbor ... Team USA is 2-2-0 in four games against the Rangers this season.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will play its next nine games away from the Ann Arbor Ice Cube, including a trip to Piestany, Slovakia, in February to compete in the 2007 Vlad Dzurilla Classic ... U.S. forward Kelen Corkum (Newbury, Mass.) is expected to be back in the line-up this weekend after missing the 2007 Toys for Tots Four Nations Cup with an injury ... Forward Jordan Schroeder (Lakeville, Minn.) made a big splash last weekend while playing with the U.S. National Under-18 Team. Schroeder, a University of Minnesota recruit, recorded four points (1-3) during the weekend against NCAA Division I Princeton University and Division III-leader Manhattanville. Schroeder joins defenseman Ryan Grimshaw (Rochester, N.Y.) as the two players who have made an appearance this season with the Under-18 Team. Grimshaw and fellow defenseman Nick Pryor (Woodbury, Minn.) will both be out of the line-up this weekend due to injury.

NTDP ADDITION: Adam Murray (Anchorage, Alaska), a 1991-born netminder, has joined the NTDP as a fifth goaltender. Murray, who will participate next season at the NTDP with the 1991 birth -class, will primarily spend time this season with the U.S. National Under-17 Team. Murray joins the NTDP from the Alaska All-Stars program.

LAST WEEK: Team USA had a weekend off following its championship at the 2007 Toys for Tots Four Nations Cup held in Ann Arbor, Mich. Vinny Saponari (Powder Springs, Ga.) scored the winning goal in overtime to knock of Sweden, 2-1, in the championship game. Sweden had previously defeated the U.S. by a 4-2 count in round-robin play.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will face the NAHL North -Division-leading Mahoning Valley Phantoms this Monday (Jan. 15) in an afternoon tilt scheduled for 3 p.m. EST. Following the match-up against the Phantoms, Team USA will host Marquette next weekend, Jan. 19-20, at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

ALUMNI UPDATE: Hartford Wolf Pack netminder Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill./ 2001-02) was named the CCM Vector/ American Hockey League Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 31. Montoya went 3-0-0 with two shutouts during the week ... Fifteen NTDP alumni earned a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Leksand & Mora, Sweden ... Three NTDP alumni were selected to the 2007 RBK Hockey American Hockey League All-Star Classic to be played in Toronto, Ontario. Forwards Patrick O'Sullivan (Sterling Heights, Mich./2000-01), Brett Sterling (Pasadena, Calif./2000-02) and defenseman Matt Lashoff (Albany, N.Y./2002-03) will represent PlanetUSA at the annual classic.

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 January 10, 2007


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