Both the National Team Development Program Under-17s and Under-18s claimed their respective Four Nations championships in international play last week. Now the U18s will play a pair of United States Hockey League contests while the U17s are off until after Thanksgiving.

BACK TO THE USHL: After capturing their fifth Four Nations Tournament title in a row with a 3-1 win over Sweden on Saturday, the U18s head back into USHL play with a pair of contests this week. The squad travels to the Chicago Steel on Saturday before returning to the Ann Arbor Ice (Mich.) Cube to entertain Cedar Rapids on Sunday. Following the game, fans will have a chance to skate with the players.

“I was proud of how our team played and their effort the entire tournament,” U18 coach Don Granato said of the Four Nations Tournament, which was held in Ann Arbor. “We need to build off these games as we move forward with our schedule, including a pair of USHL contests this weekend.”

In the Four Nations Tournament title game against Sweden, Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.), John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) and Michael McCarron (Macomb, Mich.) scored goals in the win. Goalie Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif.), who was named Team USA’s player of the game, kicked out 22 shots.

The U18s opened with a 3-1 win over Finland on Tuesday as Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.), Sean Malone (West Seneca, N.Y.) and Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) scored the goals for Team USA. Demko stopped 19 shots to earn the win.

In its second game, Team USA dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to Switzerland on Wednesday. Allen, McCarron, Malone and Shane Eiserman (West Newbury, Mass.) registered the goals. Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) stopped 17 shots between the pipes.

Louis scored a pair of third-period goals to help Team USA earn a 5-3 win over Sweden on Friday to advance to the championship contest. Malone, Kelleher and Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.) also registered goals. Demko stopped 32 shots in net for the win.

OFF UNTIL THANKSGIVING: For a fourth straight year, the U17s claimed the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, finishing round-robin action with a perfect 3-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) mark. The tournament was held in Monthey, Switzerland.

Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) and Eric Schierhorn (Anchorage, Alaska) combined for a shutout as the U17s recorded a 2-0 exhibition win over Switzerland on Wednesday. Joe Wegwerth (Brewster, N.Y.) and Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) scored the goals for Team USA.

The U17s opened the Four Nations Tournament with a 7-2 win over Slovakia on Friday. Seven different players scored goals, including Anders Bjork (Mequon, Wis.), Wegwerth, Chris Wilkie (Omaha, Neb.), Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.), Tuch, Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Jack Eichel (N. Chelmsford, Mass.). Minney stopped 25-of-27 shots for the win.

Team USA posted a 5-4 shootout win over Russia on Saturday as Milano and Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) each scored in the shootout. Bjork tallied a pair of goals while Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.) and Wegwerth also netted single tallies in regulation. Minney finished with 22 saves.

In its final contest Sunday against Switzerland, the U17s posted a 6-1 victory. Milano tallied a pair of goals while Nathan Billitier (Spencerport, N.Y.), Ryan Hitchcock (Manhasset, N.Y.), Tuch and Larkin added single goals. Schierhorn stopped 22 shots to earn the win in net.

“The team played very well against Switzerland and skated hard the whole 60 minutes,” U17 coach Danton Cole said. “It was a successful tournament for the guys and we’ll look to carry this momentum with us moving forward.”

The U17s will return to action on Nov. 23-24 when the squad travels to Youngstown for a pair of USHL games.

NOTEBOOK:
• The U18s averaged 3.75 goals per game at the Four Nations Tournament while allowing just 2.25 goals against.

• Tyler Kelleher led all players in scoring at the 2012 Under-18 Four Nations Tournament with six points (2-4). Anthony Louis (3-2) and Sean Malone (3-2) tied for second with five points each. Several U.S. players tied for fifth in scoring with three points, including Michael McCarron (2-1), John Hayden (1-2), Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis./0-3) and Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J./0-3).

• Meanwhile, U18 goalie Thatcher Demko finished with a 3-0-0-0 record along with a 1.67 goals-against average and a 93.6 save percentage. His GAA and save percentage ranked second at the Four Nations Tournament.

• Sonny Milano led Team USA at the U17 Four Nations Tournament with six points (4-2), placing him third among tournament scoring leaders. Meanwhile, Anders Bjork finished fifth with five points (3-2). Alex Tuch tied for sixth in scoring with four points (2-2).

• Jared Figel (1-2), Ryan MacInnis (1-2), Brandon Fortunato (North Hills, N.Y./0-3) and Jack Eichel (N. Chelmsford, Mass./0-3) were among a slew of players that finished with three points apiece.

• Edwin Minney finished the round-robin portion of the U17 tournament with a 2-0-0-0 record, a 2.88 GAA and an 88.9 save percentage. Eric Schierhorn was 1-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a 93.8 save percentage.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.