Team USA Update

National Team Development Program Weekly Update

U.S. National Under-18 Team Set for Final USHL Road Trip of Season;
Under-17 Team Enjoys Weekend Off Before USHL Stretch Run

U18 TEAM TRAVELS TO DES MOINES: The U.S. National Under-18 Team hits the road for the second consecutive weekend, as it travels to Waterloo (Iowa) on Friday (March 18) for a 8:05 p.m. EDT tilt at Young Arena. On Saturday (March 19), Team USA visits Dubuque (Iowa) to face the Fighting Saints at 7 p.m. EDT at the Mystique Ice Center.

U17 TEAM ENJOYS WEEKEND BREAK: The U.S. National Under-17 Team has the weekend off before facing the Chicago Steel on March 22, at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube at 7 p.m. EDT.

U18's EDGE DES MOINES IN SHOOTOUT: Travis Boyd (Hopkins, Minn.) and Tyler Biggs (Cincinnati, Ohio) each recorded a goal and an assist and John Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa.) stopped 36 shots, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team edged the Des Moines Buccaneers, 3-2, in a shootout on March 11 at Buccaneers Arena.

U17's SPLIT WEEKEND SERIES WITH MUSKEGON: Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.) tallied the lone goal for Team USA, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team dropped a 4-1 decision to the Muskegon Lumberjacks on March 11 at L.C. Walker Arena.

The next night, Hartman scored two goals and added an assist as the U.S. National Under-17 Team staged a comeback win against the Muskegon Lumberjacks, 3-2.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Jason Zucker (Las Vegas, Nev./2008-10) was honored as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year. The University of Denver forward was listed on 78 ballots after leading all first-year conference players in scoring and finishing third overall with 36 points (20-16) ... Chicago forward Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./2004-06) notched his 100th career NHL goal in a 6-3 Blackhawks win against the San Jose Sharks on Monday (March 7). Kane became the third-fastest player in Blackhawks history to accompish the feat ... Jeff Jackson, co-founder and former coach of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, was named one of three finalists for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year award. Jackson helped double his team's conference win total to 18 en route to a second-place CCHA finish ... Rookie defenseman Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich./2008-10) was among the three finalists for CCHA Rookie of the Year, Best Defensive Defenseman and Best Offensive Defenseman, for his play at the University of Michigan.

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