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Notebook (April 21) - Team USA Pushes Forward at U18 Worlds

By Becky Olsen, 04/21/14, 2:15PM EDT

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The U.S. National Under-18 Team closes out preliminary-round action at the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s Under-18 World Championship against host country Finland on Tuesday (April 22).

Team USA carries a 2-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) mark into its final game. Seeding for the quarterfinals and relegation round will be determined after Tuesday’s games.

Team USA opened round-robin play with a 4-2 loss to Switzerland on April 17. Jack Dougherty (Cottage Grove, Minn.) and Kyle Connor (Shelby Township, Mich.) registered the goals. Alex Nedeljkovic (Parma, Ohio) stopped 16 shots in net.

Nedeljkovic stopped 24 shots as the U18s posted a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday. Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Connor added the goals.

Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) earned the shutout with eight saves while Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) registered a pair of goals in a 7-0 win over Denmark on Sunday. Jack Glover (Golden Valley, Minn.), Ryan Hitchcock (Manhasset, N.Y.), Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.), Connor and Milano also registered tallies in the win.

U18 World Championship Notes

  • Sonny Milano (3-2) leads the U18s with five points, while Jack Eichel (2-2) is second with four points. Kyle Connor (3-0), Jack Dougherty (1-2), Jack Glover (1-2) and Brandon Fortunato (North Hills, N.Y./0-3) are tied for third with three points each.
  • In net, Alex Nedeljkovic is 1-1 with a 1.51 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. Edwin Minney is 1-0 with a 0.00 GAA and a 100 save percentage.
  • The U18s have not allowed a power-play goal in the first three games of the U18 World Championship. Opponents have had eight power-play opportunities and have not converted.

Notebook

  • Eleven more players have committed to the NTDP for the 2014-15 season. They are forwards Clayton Keller (Swansea, Ill.), William Lockwood (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Graham McPhee (Bethesda, Md.), James Sanchez (Northbrook, Ill.) and Zach Walker (Boise, Idaho), along with defensemen Michael Campoli (Point-Claire, Que.), Adam Fox (Jericho, N.Y.), James Greenway (Potsdam, N.Y.) and Ryan Lindgren (Minneapolis, Minn.) and goaltenders Jake Oettinger (Lakeville, Minn.) and Joseph Woll (Dardenne Prairie, Mo.). The players, all from the 1998 birth year, will compete next season as members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team.
  • Seven former NTDP players have been named to the 2014 U.S. Men's National Team that will compete at the IIHF Men's World Championship May 9-25 in Minsk, Belarus.

    They are forwards Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass./2006-08/Florida Panthers), Peter Mueller (Bloomington, Minn./2003-05/Kloten) and Drew Shore (Denver, Colo./2007-09/Florida), along with defensemen Seth Jones (Plano, Texas/2010-12/Nashville Predators), Jake McCabe (Eau Claire, Wis./2009-11/Buffalo Sabres), Connor Murphy (Dublin, Ohio/2009-11/Phoenix Coyotes) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich./2010-12/Winnipeg Jets).

    The group brings a great deal of international experience. Jones, McCabe, Murphy and Trouba won a gold medal at the 2013 World Junior Championship. Shore earned a bronze medal at the 2011 World Junior Championship.

    At the U18 World Championship, Mueller (2005), Shore (2009), McCabe and Murphy (2011), and Jones and Trouba (2011-2012) all won gold medals. Hayes won a silver medal at the 2007 event.

    Sixteen teams will compete at the 2014 World Championship. They are split into two groups of eight. Teams will play a round-robin format among their group and the top four teams from each group advance to quarterfinals.
  • U.S. National Under-17 Team coach Don Granato was selected as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
  • Former NTDP forward Justin Florek (Marquette, Mich./2006-08), who is playing for the Boston Bruins, scored his first National Hockey League playoff goal on Sunday against Detroit. Florek appeared in four games during the regular season, posting one goal and two points. He also played in 69 games for Providence of the American Hockey League, posting 19 goals and 38 points.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.


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