Fresh of their respective Five Nations Tournament wins, the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams return to Ann Arbor, Mich., with two vastly different schedules. The U17s play a pair of United States Hockey League contests, while the U18s enjoy a bye week.

BACK IN ACTION: The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns to the Ann Arbor Ice Cube for a pair of home games for the first time since Nov. 24, 2013. The U17s will entertain the Chicago Steel at 7 p.m. EST on Friday before facing the Indiana Ice at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The U17s captured the 2014 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Sundsvall, Sweden, with a perfect 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record. The wins came against Finland, the Czech Republic, Russia and Sweden.

In the 6-5 win over Finland on Wednesday, Jack Roslovic (Columbus, Ohio) tallied a pair of goals to pace the offense. Luke Kunin (Chesterfield, Mo.), Luke Kirwan (DeWitt, N.Y.), Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.), and Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had single tallies. Michael Lackey (Washington, D.C.) and Luke Opilka (St. Louis, Mo.) combined for 16 saves.

Christian Fischer (Wayne, Ill.), Kunin, Charles McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y.), and Brendan Warren (Carleton, Mich.) posted goals in the 4-2 win over the Czech Republic on Friday. Opilka finished with 18 stops.

Colin White (Hanover, Mass.) recorded a hat trick and five points to pace the offense in a 6-4 win over Russia on Saturday. Kirwan, Tkachuk, and Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) also added goals. Lackey had 19 saves.

Third-period goals by Kirwan, Roslovic and Michael Floodstrand (Hinsdale, Ill.) broke a 1-1 tie as the U17s posted a 4-1 win over Sweden on Sunday. Werenski tallied the other goal in the first period. Opilka kicked out 25 of 26 shots in net.

BYE WEEK: The U.S. National Under-18 Team will celebrate its 2014 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament title with a bye week. The U18s went a perfect 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in Russia after beating the host country 5-2 on Tuesday; Finland 8-3 on Thursday; Sweden 4-2 on Friday; and the Czech Republic 3-2 on Saturday.

Against Russia, Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) tallied a pair of goals while Louie Belpedio (Skokie, Ill.), Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) and Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y.) added single tallies. In goal, Blake Weyrick (Ojai, Calif.) stopped 19 shots.

Eichel had a pair of goals in the win over Finland. Other goal scorers included: Johnathan MacLeod (Dracut, Mass.), Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), Dylan Pavelek (Marysville, Mich.), Shane Gersich (Chaska, Minn.), Larkin, and Ryan Wagner (Park Ridge, Ill.). Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) earned the starting nod in net and finished with 25 saves.

Larkin’s three-point night (2-1) helped the U18s in the win over Sweden, while Wagner and Tuch potted single tallies. Weywrick kicked out 24 shots.

First-period goals by Joe Wegwerth (Brewster, N.Y.), Pavelek and Brandon Fortunato (North Hills, N.Y.) propelled the win over the Czech Republic. Minney kicked out 22 shots in goal.

• The U17s finished with a perfect 15-0 mark in international play this season. The team took home top honors in all three of its tournaments — the 2013 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in Slovakia, the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Nova Scotia and the 2014 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament.
• This was the seventh time Team USA has captured top honors in the Under-18 Five Nations Tournament (1999, 2005, 2007-09, 2011, 2014).
• New Jersey Devils defenseman Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich./2008-10) scored his first National Hockey League goal on Friday with the overtime winner in a 2-1 victory over Edmonton.
• Former National Team Development Program and current University of Minnesota Duluth forward Kyle Osterberg (Lakeville, Minn./2010-12) was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Week for the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2. Osterberg tallied four points (2-2) in UMD’s two-game sweep at Western Michigan University.
• Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif./2012-13), a freshman netminder at Boston College, was selected as the Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Feb. 3. Demko recorded his first shutout, kicking out 30 shots in a 2-0 win over Providence College.
• Andy Iles (Ithaca, N.Y./2009-10), who plays for Cornell University, earned ECAC Goaltender of the Week honors on Feb. 4. In the Big Red's road sweep of No. 13 Yale University and Brown University, Iles combined for a combined 1.44 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage.
• The U17s bring a 25-15-1 (W-L-OTL) overall mark into this week’s action.
• Auston Matthews led all U17 skaters in points at the Five Nations Tournament with seven (1-6). Colin White (3-2) and Noah Hanifin (Norwood, Mass./0-5) tied for second with five points. Matthew Tkachuk (2-2) and Jeremy Bracco (Freeport, N.Y./0-4) tied for third with four points apiece. Six players — Jack Roslovic (3-0), Luke Kirwan (3-0), Luke Kunin (2-1), Zach Werenski (2-1), Charles McAvoy (1-2) and Brendan Warren (1-2) — tied for fifth with three points each.
• In net for the U17s at the Five Nations Tournament, Michael Lackey and Luke Opilka split duties. Opilka was 2-0 with a 2.01 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Lackey also was 2-0 with a 4.62 GAA and an .818 save percentage.
• The U18s will bring a 27-13-1 (W-L-OTL) mark into their bye week.
• At the Under-18 Five Nations Tournament, Jack Eichel led the squad with seven points (3-4) in four games. Dylan Larkin (5-1), Sonny Milano (1-5), and Ryan Hitchcock (Manhasset, N.Y./0-6) were tied for second with six points. Alex Tuch (2-2) and Brandon Fortunato (1-3) tied for fifth with four points each. Ryan Wagner (2-1) and Jack Glover (Golden Valley, Minn./0-3) tied for seventh with three points each.
• In goal for the U18s, Blake Weyrick finished with a 2-0 record, along with a 2.00 GAA and a .915 save percentage. Edwin Minney also was 2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and a .900 save percentage.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.