NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Nat'l Under-18 Team Hosts Alpena Tonight In Halloween Match-Up

October 31, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team hosts the Alpena IceDiggers of the North American Hockey League tonight at 7 p.m. EST at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

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 94-43-8-5. 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. This December, Rolston will serve as the head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2007 World Junior Championship in Mora and Leksand, Sweden.

COACH ROLSTON ON THE WEEKEND AHEAD: "We're excited to return home to face Alpena. They've had good success early in the season, so it should be a tough test for us. I'm looking for our team to continue to play with great effort and improve fundamentally as we prepare for our first overseas trip of the season next week."

THIS WEEK'S MATCH-UP:

ALPENA: This will be the first meeting between the U.S. National Under-18 Team and Alpena during the 2006-07 season. The teams will meet only once more this season, on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

GAME NOTES - Alpena currently leads the NAHL's North Division with 21 points after compiling a 10-4-1 record through 15 games this season. The 21 points ties the Ice Diggers for second place overall in the entire league, trailing only the Santa Fe Roadrunners (22 points) ... Alpena forwards Nolan Craner (10-17-27), and Todd Rudasill (10-15-25), rank first and second among the NAHL's point leaders for the 2006-07 season. Alpena forward Drew Pierson (8-9-17), also ranks in the top-10 on the league's scoring chart.

ROOM FOR THREE: USA Hockey's Women's Training Camp is being held this week at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube in conjunction with the daily routine of the NTDP. The camp features an elite pool of U.S. women's ice hockey players, including some who will play for the 2006 U.S. Women's Select Team at the Four Nations Cup (Kitchener, Ont., Nov. 7-11). The participants will be in attendance at tonight's game versus Alpena as well as tomorrow's U.S. National Under-17 Team game, where five members of the camp (Chanda Gunn, Jamie Hagerman, Kristin King, Angela Ruggiero and Krissy Wendell) will be available for an autograph session.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM TIDBITS: The U.S. National Under-18 Team is comprised of 19 players who competed last season on the U.S. National Under-17 Team within the National Team Development Program, plus the additions of Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) and Mike Hoeffel (North Oaks, Minn.). Hayes, who attended the Noble and Greenough School (Mass.) last year, participated with Rolston's U.S. National Under-17 Team at the 2005 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia, and recorded three points (2-1) in five games. Hoeffel played at Hill-Murray High School (Minn.) last year and earned all-state honorable mention laurels ... Among those highlighting the list of NTDP returnees are Ryan Hayes (Syracuse, N.Y.), Wilson, vanRiemsdyk and Cade Fairchild (Duluth, Minn.), all of whom earned gold medals with the U.S. National Under-18 Team at the 2005 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Angelholm, Sweden ... USA forward James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.), who leads the team in points (21), goals (13) and power-play goals (8), tallied six points last week (4-2) in two games.

LAST WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team topped No. 14 Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., on Saturday (Oct. 28) night by a score of 6-2. vanRiemsdyk led the way offensively for Team USA with two goals and one assist. Netminder Josh Unice (Toledo, Ohio) was strong between the pipes for the U.S., stopping 27-of-29 shots. On Sunday afternoon (Oct. 29) Team USA topped NCAA Division III State University of New York-Plattsburgh, 5-3. vanRiemsdyk tallied two goals and an assist for the second-consecutive day to help Team USA win its fourth consecutive game.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team travels to Lulea, Sweden, to participate in the 2006 Under-18 Four Nations Tournament. Team USA will face Finland (Nov. 10), Sweden (Nov. 11) and Switzerland (Nov. 12) in tournament action after facing Sweden in an exhibition (Nov. 8).

ALUMNI UPDATE: Three of the top-six National Hockey League defenseman point leaders are products of the NTDP. John-Michael Liles (Zionsville, Ind./1997-99) is second in the league among defenseman with 11 points (3-8) followed by Ryan Whitney (2000-02/Scituate, Mass.) and rookie Matt Carle (Anchorage, Alaska/2000-02), who are tied for third with 10 points (2-8) ... Ontario Hockey League rookie Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./2004-06) is third in the league in scoring through 14 games with 29 points (11-18) for the London Knights.

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).

Check out the U.S. National Team Statistics



North American Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2006


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