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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Nat'l Under-18 Team Travels to No. 10 North Dakota and NAHL's Fargo-Moorhead

November 28, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


THIS WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team travels to North Dakota to take on No. 10 University of North Dakota on Friday (Dec. 1) in Grand Forks at 7:35 p.m. CST and the North American Hockey League's Central Division-leader Fargo-Moorhead Jets on Saturday night (Dec. 2) in Fargo at 8 p.m. CST.

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 98-45-11-5. 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.

U.S. HEAD COACH RON ROLSTON ON THE WEEKEND AHEAD: "North Dakota is a tremendous opponent. This game will provide a solid gauge of where we are as a team at this point of the season. Going into a hostile environment is an exciting challenge for us. Then, to follow it up with the division-leading (Fargo-Moorhead) Jets will provide great experience in playing two tough games in two days that will be valuable when April and the World Championship event comes around."

GAME NOTES -

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux: Team USA faced the Fighting Sioux during the 2003-04 season in the only meeting between the two squads. North Dakota outscored Team USA 4-1, with Matt Auffrey (2002-04/Evans Mills, N.Y.) scoring the lone Team USA goal ... Two members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team, Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Mike Cichy (New Hartford, Conn.) have given verbal commitments to play collegiately for North Dakota in the 2008-09 school year ... Fighting Sioux defenseman Zach Jones (2003-05/Lisle, Ill.) recorded 18 points (4-14) in 123 career games at the NTDP. During his 2004-05 campaign with the U.S. National Under-18 Team Jones earned a gold medal at the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championships in Plzen, Czech Republic. Rolston also served as head coach of the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2005-06 ... UND freshman forward Michael Forney played four games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team last season at the 2006 Five Nations Tournament in Russia. Forney was also invited to participate with the Under-18 Team at the 2006 IIHF World Uncer-18 Championship in Sweden, but he suffered an injury at the pre-camp prior to the event and did not participate in the World Championship.

Fargo-Moorhead Jets: Saturday will mark the first meeting between the U.S. National Under-18 Team and the FM Jets of the NAHL ... NTDP alumnus Tom Dickhudt (2001-03/Woodbury, Minn.) played for the Jets during the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons. Dickhudt recorded 31 points (15-16) in 88 games during two seasons at the NTDP ... The FM Jets currently lead the NAHL's Central Division with an overall record of 17-6-1, including a 10-5-0 mark at the Carlson Center in Fargo.

U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM NOTES: The U.S. National Under-18 Team has played at least one game against a team from all six NCAA Division I conferences. Team USA has fared best against the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, where it boasts a 2-2-0 record ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team has not lost a game played in the United States since Oct. 14 at the University of New Hampshire. Team USA has gone 7-0-2 in the nine game span ... Head Coach Ron Rolston (Fenton, Mich.) is two wins shy of 100 career victories at the National Team Development Program.

LAST WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team went 2-0-0 en route to winning the 2006 Colby/Bowdoin Faceoff Classsic in Maine. On Saturday night, Nov. 25, Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) led the way offensively for Team USA in a 6-3 victory over Colby College in Waterville, Maine. On Sunday, it was James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) who did the damage offensively by tallying three goals and one assist in the 6-4 defeat of the Bowdoin College Polar Bears. vanRiemsdyk, who tallied five points (3-2) in the tournament earned the most valuable player of the tournament for his effort on the weekend.

UP NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team travels to Williamstown, Mass., on Friday, Dec. 8, to take on NCAA Division III Williams College at 7:00 p.m., then travel to Burlington, Vt., to battle the University of Vermont Catamounts at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, Dec. 9.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Michael Carman (2004-06/Apple Valley, Minn.) and James O'Brien (2004-06/Maplewood, Minn.) led the top-ranked University of Minnesota past No. 7 University of Michigan with two goals apiece in the 8-2 victory over the Wolverines. Both of Carman's goals were short-handed tallies and O'Brien also added an assist on the night ... David Booth (2001-02/Washington, Mich.) made his debut with the Florida Panthers on Nov. 20 versus Boston. Booth recorded 29 points (17-12) in 58 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team.

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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