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GAME DAY: U18s Meet Czech Republic in 5 Nations

By USAHockeyNTDP.com, 11/12/17, 8:30AM EST

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USA VS CZECH REPUBLIC HISTORY

The U.S. defeated the Czech Republic in last year's tournament, 6-2 to win first place. 

Nate Knoepke (Farmington, Minn.), Sean Dhooghe (Aurora, Ill.), Grant Mismash (Edina, Minn.), Josh Norris (Oxford, Mich.) and Logan Cockerill (Brighton, Mich.) all netted one in the win while Scott Reedy (Prior Lake, Minn.) netted two. 

USA VS FINLAND RECAP

The U.S. National Under-18 Team fell to Finland yesterday, 4-3 in a shotout. Mattias Samuelsson (Voorhees, N.J) netted a pair of goals in the loss. 

USA VS SWEDEN RECAP

The U.S. National Under-18 Team fell 2-0 against Sweden in its second game of the tournament. 

Goaltender Drew DeRidder (Fenton, Mich.) made 22 saves for the U.S. in its 2-0 loss to Sweden on Friday afternoon

USA VS SWITZERLAND RECAP

The U.S. National Under-18 Team fell short in a shootout (3-2) against Switzerland in the bottom of 13th round.

Oliver Wahlstrom (Quincy, Mass.) and Trevor Janicke (Maple Grove, Minn.) scored for Team USA in regulation. 

Drew DeRidder (Fenton, Mich.) saved 17 of 19 shots during regulation while stopping 11 of 13 shots in the shootout. DeRidder also came up with a big stop on a penalty shot during the overtime period to force the shootout.

POINTS MATTER

Every year, two Under-18 Five Nations Tournaments are held.

Each team competes in four games per tournaments, with points awarded for wins (3), overtime wins (2), and overtime losses (1). The first-place team is determined based on final point standings.

The first tournament takes place in early November while the second event takes place in early February. 

Countries that participate are a combination of the following: the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

U18 FIVE NATIONS HISTORY

The Under-18 Five Nations and Four Nations tournaments are held twice a season. The U.S. has placed first in at least one of the two yearly events dating back to the 2007-08 season. In total, the U.S. has won the event 19 times since the U.S. began participating in 1997-1998. The U.S. has won both of the yearly tournaments five times (2003-04, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2016-17). 

TEAM USA CAPTAINS

Joel Farabee (Cicero, N.Y.) will serve as the team captain for Team USA at the 2017 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament. Oliver Wahlstrom (Quincy, Mass.) and Patrick Giles (Chevy Chase, Md.) will serve as alternate captains for the U.S.

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COACHING STAFF AT U18 5 NATIONS

Seth Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.) will lead the U.S. in the event for the first time. Joining Appert behind the bench will be associate coach Nick Fohr (Grand Forks, N.D.) and intern assistant coach Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.). Current NTDP director of player personnel and former NTDP goaltending coach Kevin Reiter (Pittsburgh, Pa.) will serve as goaltending coach for this event.

FRESH BLOOD

Forwards Ryder Donovan (Duluth, Minn.) and Philippe Lapointe (Hinsdale, Ill.) have joined the U.S. National Under-18 Team for the Under-18 Five Nations Tournament. 

Donovan will wear number 22 for the red, white and blue. The forward is currently playing for Duluth East High School and is committed to play at the University of North Dakota. Donovan has started the 2017-18 season with Team North of the Minnesota Elite League recording four goals, seven assists and 11 points in 12 games. He also appeared in the U18s game against Youngstown last Friday (Nov. 3). 

Lapointe will wear number 26. The forward is currently playing for the Lincoln Stars (USHL) and has earned two assists in eight games to start the season. The University of Michigan commit previously represented Team USA at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in August 2017 where he recorded a goal and an assist.

LAST YEAR...

Last year, the U.S. National Under-18 Team won both tournaments.

In November 2016, the U.S. (1999 birth year) earned victories against Switzerland (7-2), the Czech Republic (5-3) and Finland (3-2) and fell to Sweden (2-1) to earn nine points, two more than any other team in the tournament to finish first. 

The U.S. clinched first place in the final game of the tournament against Finland where Scott Reedy (2015-17/University of Minnesota) scored the game-winner at the 6:16 mark of the third period and St. Cyr stopped 23 shots. With that tournament victory, the U.S. National Under-18 Team has won nine of the last ten international events held each November.

The 2016-17 U.S. National Under-18 Team followed November's performance by claiming its second international tournament victory of the season by earning 11 points and posting a 3-1-0-0 (W-OTW-L-OTL) record in Sundsvall, Sweden in February 2017. 

In the deciding game against tournament-host Sweden, Josh Norris (2015-17/University of Michigan) scored a short-handed goal with three seconds remaining in regulation and then tallied two shootout goals in a 5-4 victory at Sundsvall Energi Arena. St. Cyr tallied 25 saves in the game.

GOLD MEDALISTS

Last season, Joel Farabee and Oliver Wahlstrom helped the U.S. National Under-18 Team capture the gold medal at the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's Under-18 World Championship in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia. Farabee and Wahlstrom were the only two underage players for the U.S. in the tournament. Wahlstrom appeared in all seven games and recorded four goals and an assist. Farabee finished with six points (3-3-6) including two goals during the decisive gold medal game victory against Finland.

NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING RANKINGS:

Seventeen players currently on the U\.S. National Under-18 Team roster and eight former NTDP players were named to the NHL Central Scouting’s list of “players to watch” for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

Players listed as “A” skaters who are probable to go in the first round of the 2018 Draft are forwards Farabee and Wahlstrom and defenseman Samuelsson.


Tournament Information

The Fall 2017 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament was played in Hämeenlinna, Finland from Wednesday, Nov. 8 through Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. All games were played at Ritarihalli Arena, home of HPK of SM-liiga.

The U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team finished tied for first place in the tournament after finishing with a record of (1-0-2-1) (W-OTW-OTL-L). 

Fall 2017 U18 Five Nations Team USA Schedule

DATE OPPONENT TIME (Local/ET)/RESULT
Wednesday, Nov. 8 Switzerland L, 3-2 (SO)
Friday, Nov. 10 Sweden L, 2-0
Saturday, Nov. 11 Finland L, 4-3 (SO)
Sunday, Nov. 12 Czech Republic W, 3-0