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Gameday: U.S. set for opening game of Five Nations Tournament

By USAHockey.com, 08/15/18, 5:45AM EDT

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U.S. and Czechia collide in Piestany at 9:30 a.m. MT

The United States Under-17 Men's Select Team opens play at the 2018 Five Nations Tournament today at 9:30 a.m. MT (11:30 a.m. ET) against the Czech Republic. Hockey Slovakia will provide live streaming of the game from Easton Arena in Piestany, Slovakia.

Today’s Opponent: Czechia
Team USA is 4-1 (W-L) in its last five meetings with Czechia at the Five Nations Tournament. In 2017, the teams met in the final game with the U.S. winning 5-3.

Looking Back

Arthur Kaliyev (Delray Beach, Fla.) and Josh Nodler (Oak Park, Mich.), who both just participated in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with the U.S. Under-18 Men's Select Team, each recorded a goal and an assist in the final game of the 2017 U-17 Five Nations Tournament.

In 2016, the U.S. defeated Czechia 6-1 before going on to defeat Germany and win first place at the tournament. The teams also met in the opening game of the tournament in 2015, with the U.S. fighting back from multiple two-goal deficits to walk away with a 5-4 victory.

In 2014, Czechia defeated the U.S. 2-0 in a close game that wasn't decided until a late empty-net goal from the Czechs.

The U.S. defeated Czechia 5-2 in its second game of the 2013 tournament.

The Czech Republic finished second at last year’s Five Nations Tournament and first in 2014, while the U.S. has won seven of the last eight U-17 Five Nations tournaments.

Pre-Tournament Exhibition Recap

The 2018 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team participated in two pre-tournament exhibition games. 

On Sunday, Team USA defeated Hungary 8-1 with Nathan Schweitzer (Champlin, Minn.) leading the way. He recorded three assists and was named the U.S. Player of the Game, while Daniyal Dzhaniyev (Brooklyn. N.Y.) led all skaters with two goals.

On Monday, the U.S. entered the third period against Slovakia deadlocked at 2, until Mackie Samoskevich (Sandy Hook, Conn.) scored at 10:45 to make it 3-2. Tanner Dickinson (Perrysburg, Ohio) added a fourth goal for the U.S. 18 seconds later, beating the goaltender with a wrist shot over the blocker to seal the game for Team USA.

Dennehy Leading the Way

Mark Dennehy (St. Cloud, Minn.) is the head coach of the 2018 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team after serving as an assistant coach last year in Ostrava, Czech Republic, when the U.S. claimed first place. The head coach of the Binghamton Devils, the New Jersey Devils' AHL affiliate, Dennehy previously coached the Merrimack Warriors of the Hockey East Association for 13 years. The staff also includes assistant coaches Roger Grillo (Providence, R.I.), Matthew Curley (Madrid, N.Y.) and Joseph Palmer (Syracuse, N.Y.).

USA Hockey Player Development Camps

The 2018 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team was chosen from players skating at USA Hockey's 2018 Boys Select 16 Player Development Camp in Amherst, New York. The USA Hockey National Player Development Camps for 15-year-olds, 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds provide the nation’s top young players with age-appropriate on- and off-ice training and coaching from elite-level instructors, as well as the opportunity to compete against their peers from throughout the country. Players earn invitations to the national camps through their performance at a series of state- and district-level camps held each season. The camps are designed so players return home afterward with the tools to further develop their skills over the course of the coming season and beyond. Since their launch in 1977, USA Hockey’s National Player Development Camps have been a springboard for countless future Olympians and professional players.

U.S. Roster

U.S. Homepage

Tournament Website


2018 U.S. Schedule

Date Opponent Time (Local/ET) Location Live Stream
Sun., Aug 12 Hungary
Exhibition
W, 8-1 Budapest, Hungary
Mon., Aug 13 Slovakia
Exhibition
W, 4-2 Piestany, Slovakia
Wed., Aug. 15 Czech Republic 5:30 p.m./11:30 a.m. Piestany, Slovakia Hockey Slovakia Stream
Fri., Aug. 17 Switzerland 2 p.m./8 a.m. Piestany, Slovakia Hockey Slovakia Stream
Sat., Aug. 18 Germany 2 p.m./8 a.m. Piestany, Slovakia Hockey Slovakia Stream
Sun., Aug. 19 Slovakia 2:30 p.m./8:30 a.m. Piestany, Slovakia Hockey Slovakia Stream

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