SIOUX FALLS STAMPEDE: The National Team Development Program takes its first trip to Sioux Falls since prior to the pandemic, as the Under-18 Team takes the bus ride to South Dakota for a pair against the Stampede.

Sioux Falls enters the weekend with a 16-13-2-1 record, good enough for 35 points and third place in the USHL's Western Conference.

The Stampede are one of the league's top-half offensive units, led by a pair of forwards in JJ Wiebusch and Chris Pelosi. The former leads the the squad with 15 goals, 16 assists, four power-play goals, eight power-play points and an 18.8 shooting percentage. Pelosi has nearly matched the point performance with 14 tallies and 16 helpers in five fewer games played to take the team lead at 1.11 points-per-game. The team's third-leading scorer is NTDP alum Beckett Hendrickson, who has put up 26 points (10g-16a) in 27 games. Hendrickson, a University of Minnesota commit, was part of Team USA's 2023 Under-18 Men's World Championship team that took home gold last spring in Basel, Switzerland.

The Stampede net is manned by another NTDP alum in Michael Chambre, who has produced a 10-5-1-1 record in 18 appearances, with a 3.16 GAA and .884 SV% on the season. Backing up is Caleb Heil, a 2006-born Minnesota native whose recorded a 6-7-1-0 record, 3.57 GAA and .870 SV% in his 14 games played.

The only two matchups between the two sides in the last five years have both been played in South Dakota, and featured two Stampede victories.

DUBUQUE FIGHTING SAINTS: The Under-17 Team plays host to the Dubuque Fighting Saints who sit on top of the league's Eastern Conference with a 20-8-1-3 record for 44 total points.

Dubuque is second in the league with 141 goals scored and +29 goal differential.

The Saints roster the league's two leading in scorers in forwards Jake Sondreal and Erik Pahlsson. Sondreal's 40 points (15g-25a) and 25 assists top all USHL skaters, while Pahlsson sits in a tie for third place with 16 goals and has totaled 39 points thus far on the campaign.

Dubuque has a trio of defensemen who have helped the offensive punch in Lucas St. Louis (9g-13a), Joona Vaisanen (3g-18a) and NTDP alum Seamus Powell (2g-14a).

In the cage, the lone qualified Saints goaltender is the 6-foot-6 Kevin Reidler. The Swedish netminder was part of Team Sweden's silver medal-winning team at the 2024 World Junior Championship, and in 19 USHL games this season, has recorded a 12-4-1-2 record, 3.20 GAA and .900 SV% for the Saints.

This weekend's pair are the only games between the U17s and Fighting Saints this season.