LUCKY THIRTEEN: U17 forwards Dayne Beuker (Portland, Ore.) and Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.) have led the way in international play for the '08 group, with each tacking 13 points to their name between November's 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and December's 2024 Vierumäki Cup in Vierumäki, Finland.

Beuker, who also leads the team in points (29) and assists (17), posted six points (3G - 3A) in six games at the U17 Challenge in November and led the team with seven points (3G - 4A) over just four games in December. Mutryn, a future Boston College Eagle,  totalled an impressive nine points (3G - 6A) in the team's first international event and three in Finland.

MINNESOTA MANIA: Minnesota-born U17 forward Wyatt Cullen (Moorhead, Minn.) and defenseman AJ Francisco (Hermantown, Minn.) each had three points apiece last Friday (Jan. 30), as the Under-17 Team earned a point in a crushing 6-5 shootout loss to the Youngstown Phantoms at USA Hockey Arena.

It was the fifth multi-point game of the season for Cullen, who's score forced overtime with just 30 seconds to play after he grabbed the rebound off an initial blocker-save to beat Phantoms goaltender Melvin Strahl. The 5-8", 146 lb. forward also posted two assists on the night to improve to 20 points (3G - 17A) on the season and a tie for the team lead in assists amongst U17 skaters.

For Francisco, it was a career-high in points in a single game and his first multi-point effort in the USA sweater. The blueliner scored his first of the season and Team USA's third of the night with a beam through traffic late in the second period on the power play. The University of Notre Dame commit also earned two assists, including the primary on Cullen's game-tying tally.

With the three points to his name, Francisco improved to six (1G - 5A) on the season to rank fifth amongst U17 defensemen.

SILKY STU: U17 forward Logan Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) had a three-point showing last weekend in a pair against the Youngstown Phantoms at USA Hockey Arena to extend his point streak to three consecutive games, where he's picked up four points. 

On Friday night (Jan. 30), he scored on a rebound off an initial shot by Wyatt Cullen (Moorhead, Minn.) with 4:05 left in the first, then earned an assist on a power-play score by AJ Francisco (Hermantown, Minn.) with just over five minutes to play in the middle frame.

His point on Saturday (Jan. 31) came late in the second period. With the U.S. shorthanded, he forced the puck free in the defensive zone, skated up the ice and deked out Youngstown netminder Melvin Strahl with some gorgeous puck work for his sixth goal of the season. The University of Denver commit is t-7th on the team with 21 points (6G - 15A).

FORWARD THINKING: U18 forward Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.) will look to have another impressive international event after putting up a whopping eight points at the 2024 November Under-18 Five Nations event earlier this season. The future University of Minnesota Golden Gopher posted a point in three of Team USA's four games while in Czechia, including a five-point affair in a 6-1 win over the host country on Nov. 9.

Kvasnicka, who currently stands t-4th on the team in goals (10) and 5th in points (22), has tallied six points in seven games since the new year to average a 0.86 points-per-game pace.

Alongside Kvasnicka, forwards Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.), Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) will also aim to replicate their success from November. Gallant (2G-4A) and McKinney (1G-5A) each collected six points in the four-game set, while Moore (3G-2A) added five.

The trio leads the team in overall points, with Boston College commit Moore on top (31) and McKinney (29) and Gallant (28) not far behind.

MOONEY MONEY: U18 forward LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) tallied three points across two games in the team's last series before taking off for Sweden, a pair against the Youngstown Phantoms at the Covelli Centre. The University of Minnesota commit owns seven points in his last seven games and is up to three multi-point efforts this season.

While he is set to make his overseas debut this season, Mooney is no stranger to international competition. The future Gopher skated internationally for Team USA four times his U17 year, highlighted by a silver medal at the 2024 IIHF Under-18  Men's World Championship in Espoo & Vantaa, Finland, where he posted six points (2G - 4A) in seven games.

The 5-8", 157 lb. skater is t-4th on the team this season in points per game with 17 (2G - 15A) in 23 contests, for a  0.74 PPG pace.