|
|
|
|
Quest for World Junior Gold begins at Lake Placid in August
June 17, 2008
Farmington Hills, Mich. - A total of 53 players from 17 states, including seven from the CCHA along with three incoming freshmen, have been invited to the 2008 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 1-9, as announced today by USA Hockey. Participating players are candidates for the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2008-Jan. 5, 2009, in Ottawa, Ontario. The camp will feature practices and eight international games with a split squad of the best American players under the age of 20 facing off against Sweden and Finland. Michigan forward Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Ian Cole (Ann Arbor, Mich.) are among the eight returnees from the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team invited to the camp. Also highlighting the list of invitees are 13 players from the bronze medal-winning 2008 U.S. National Under-18 Team. That list includes incoming freshman forward Justin Florek (Marquette, Mich.) from Northern Michigan University along with incoming Michigan forwards Robbie Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) and David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.). The list of 18 defensemen who will be converging on Lake Placid also includes Teddy Ruth (Naperville, Ill.) from Notre Dame and Scooter Vaughan (Placentia, Calif.) of Michigan. The 30-member group of prospective forwards lists John Albert (Concord, Ohio) from Ohio State, Aaron Palushaj (Northville, Mich.) from Michigan and Corey Tropp (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) of Michigan State.
The camp opens on Aug. 1, with the first international games set for Aug. 5. All games will be held at the 1980 Rink Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center. All practice sessions are open to the public and tickets to the international games are available through the Olympic Regional Development Authority (orda.org) in Lake Placid. NOTES: Ron Rolston (Ann Arbor, Mich.), one of two head coaches at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., will serve as head coach of the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team. Rolston will be assisted by Nate Leaman (Clifton Park, N.Y.), head coach of ECAC Hockey's Union College; P.K. O'Handley (Waterloo, Iowa), head coach of the United States Hockey League's Waterloo Black Hawks; and Jeff Blashill (Indianapolis, Ind.), head coach of the USHL's Indiana Ice . Joining the coaching staff for the 2008 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp are Jay Varady (Marysville, Wash.), associate head coach of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League; Mike Cavanaugh (Boston, Mass.), assistant coach for Hockey East's Boston College; and Mark Osiecki (Madison, Wis.), assistant coach of the University of Wisconsin of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. |
