PLANTE-ING THE FLAG: U18 forward Max Plante (Hermantown, Minn.) got off to a quick start this season, scoring twice and adding an assist in last weekend's series with Youngstown. His three total points tied him for the team lead through two games.

Plante got the game's scoring started in the back-half of the opening frame on Friday night, giving Team USA a 1-0 lead off of feeds from Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) and James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.). After assisting on the U18s' third goal of the evening, Plante completed the game's scoring with the lone goal of the third period to give the Under-18 Team a decisive 8-1 win.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth commit comes into his second year at the National Team Development Program off an incredibly productive U17 season that saw him finish with 46 points (11g-35a) in just 54 games. Plante, now listed at 5-foot-10, put on 24 pounds from the start of last season into the 2023-24 campaign.

FUN FOR FONDRK: The 2023-24 U.S. National Under-17 Team made its debut last weekend at the NAHL Showcase and forward Conrad Fondrk (St. Paul, Minn.) had himself quite the impact.

In two games, Fondrk picked up a team-high four points (2g-2a), the lone U17 skater to pick up multiple points in both contests. The Boston University commit scored the birth year's first goal of the season, a power-play marker, to put the U17s up 1-0 less than five minutes into Friday's win. He added another power-play point with an assist on Charlie Trethewey's (Woodbine, Md.) man-up score later in the period.

In Saturday night's affair, Fondrk earned an assist on the game's opening goal and scored just more than 30 seconds later to put Team USA ahead 2-0 less than three minutes in. 

Fondrk joins the NTDP after playing his previous two seasons at Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. While there, he posted back-to-back 100-point seasons, and led the 15O team with 105 points (63g-42a) in 2022-23.

ROLLING DEEP: In just a pair of games played, the Under-18 Team has already had a chance to showcase their scoring depth as 16 of 21 skaters picked up at least a point in last weekend's preseason contests.

Of the 16, six of eight defensemen produced a point, including the lone blueliner goal from Sam Laurila (Moorhead, Minn.) in Friday's win. Surprisingly, of the two defensemen who have yet to record a point, one is Cole Hutson (Chicago, Ill.), who set the NTDP record for most points by a defenseman in a single season last year when he recorded 68 (10g-58a) in just 61 games.

Six forwards recorded multiple points through the first weekend, including Hagens, Christian Humphreys (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) and Plante, who are all tied for the team lead with three apiece.

FALL CLASSIC FRENZY: Team USA has fared extremely well at the Dick's Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic, as they come into the weekend having won nine of their last 10 matchups at the USHL's season-opening event, dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. 

In last year's pair of games, the 2005-born U18s won both games by 3-2 finals, topping Omaha in overtime on a Will Smith (Lexington, Mass. / Boston College) tally Saturday night, before closing the Classic with a win over Waterloo.

BACK AT HOME: Opening Weekend at USA Hockey Arena is quickly approaching and fans can go home with souvenirs, giveaways and player autographs.

The U17s kick off the 2023-24 NTDP home schedule with the first of two matchups with the Green Bay Gamblers on Friday, September 29. All fans in attendance will receive a 2023-24 NTDP magnet schedule, presented by X-Golf Canton.

On Saturday night, the Under-18 Team plays host to Green Bay, when fans can collect the 2023-24 U18 Team Poster and fill it with autographs from the team after the conclusion of the game. For tickets to either game, call the USA Hockey Arena box office at 734-453-8400.