RISING THE RANKS: U18 defenseman Jake Sanderson (Whitefish, Mont.), the highest-ranked skater on the team per NHL Central Scouting, had an impressive run through the 2020 U18 Five Nations tournament in the Czech Republic earlier this month. Sanderson led all skaters in the competition with seven points (3g-4a) over the four game series and had a hand in each of Team USA's first four goals of the tournament. The 6-foot-2 blueliner carries a five-game point streak into the weekend and has recorded 11 points (3g-8a) over his last seven games played. Sanderson's 26 total points ranks fifth overall on the Under-18 Team.

WINNING THE TIGHT ONES: The Under-18 Team has been in a great deal of tight battles recently and picked up three of its last four wins by a one-goal margin. Their last domestic game was a 5-4 shootout victory over Lake Superior State and they opened the Five Nations with 3-2 wins over both the Czech Republic and Russia. The U18s have improved their record to 7-4-1 this season in one-goal finishes with all seven wins coming in the last nine games with a one-goal margin.

PASTA SAUCE: U17 forward Sasha Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.) had a wildly impressive weekend in Chicago as he picked up five points over a pair of games played. The University of Notre Dame commit collected a trio assists in Saturday's contest against the Steel, before he kicked off Sunday afternoon's game with the initial goal and added an assist on Ryan St. Louis' (Riverside,  Conn.) shorthanded tally before the close of the 2nd period. The five-point weekend gives Pastujov 50 points (14g-36a) on the season.

SAME FACE, NEW PLACE: Four National Team Development Program skaters are making their debuts this weekend for the Under-18 Team. Forwards Dylan Duke (Strongsville, Ohio), Justin Janicke (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) along with blueliner Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.), will play with the 2002 group in the first call-ups of the season. Lucius paced the U17 squad with 31 goals and 50 points in 45 games played on the season. Duke's next goal will be his 30th of the campaign, while Behrens was the highest-scoring defenseman in the program with 37 points thus far on the year.

HOCKEY WEEK ACROSS AMERICA: From February 16-23, 2020, USA Hockey is celebrating Hockey Week Across America. The initiative was created in 2008 to engage the hockey community in celebrating the sport at all levels and exposing the game to new audiences. Saturday, February 22, is Try Hockey Day, where all kids, ages 4-9, are eligible to try the sport for the first time for free! All equipment is provided. USA Hockey Arena will be a host location for the event. For more information on Hockey Week Across America, and each daily theme of the week, visit HockeyWeekAcrossAmerica.com.

WORLD UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP: The 2020 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship will take place in Plymouth and Ann Arbor, Michigan from April 16-26, 2020. USA Hockey Arena will host the games in Plymouth while the Ann Arbor Ice Cube will play host in Ann Arbor. Team USA will be one of 10 countries represented in the tournament. The group starting play in Plymouth will feature the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia and the United States. Tickets for the tournament are on sale now by visiting USAHockeyArena.com, calling the USA Hockey Arena Box Office at 734-453-8400 or stopping by USA Hockey Arena during normal business hours.

PLAYER FEATURE: Instead of Playing Basketball, Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) Fell in Love With Hockey. Read this week's NTDP feature, presented by Milk Means More, on USAHockeyNTDP.com.