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Busy Thanksgiving Week Brings Five Games for NTDP Teams

By Becky Olsen, 11/23/15, 12:30PM EST

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U17s Host Charity Contest on Tuesday Before Picking Up USHL Action

It will be a busy Thanksgiving week for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. The U.S. National Under-18 Team will play three games, including two at USA Hockey Arena, while the U.S. National Under-17 Team hosts a charity game before going on the road for a single road United States Hockey League contest.

THREE IN FIVE: The U18s will play three games in a five-day span, starting with a home game against Adrian College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. They then travel to Youngstown to play the Phantoms on Friday before coming home to host the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The U18s split a pair of USHL road contests over the weekend, falling 1-0 to Omaha on Friday before rebounding with a 5-2 win at Des Moines Saturday.

Goalie Joseph Woll (St. Louis, Mo.) earned the starting nod against Omaha and finished with 15 saves.

Five players — Nick Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.), Adam Fox (Jericho, N.Y.), Clayton Keller (Swansea, Ill.), Will Lockwood (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn.) — scored goals against Des Moines. Goalie Jake Oettinger (Lakeville, Minn.) saved 28 of 30 shots.

CHARITY GAME: The U17s host the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a charity game before picking up their USHL schedule Friday when they go on the road to face the Bloomington Thunder.

Proceeds from ticket sales on Tuesday will help benefit the Plymouth-Canton Marching Band and their bid to participate in the 127th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1, 2016.

The U17s dropped a pair of games to the Fargo Force this weekend, falling 5-4 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday.

In Friday’s game, Michael Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.), Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.), Sean Dhooghe (Aurora, Ill.) and Logan Hutsko (North Caldwell, N.J.) tallied the goals. Goalie Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Mich.) finished with 31 stops.

Tkachuk and Joey Cassetti (Pleasanton, Calif.) scored on Saturday while Adam Scheel (Lakewood, Ohio) and St. Cry combined for 33 saves.

“It is a work in progress for our team,” U17 coach Don Granato said. “It’s been a learning experience for our players in each game, and we learn lessons with each game. The big thing is that we need to be ready to play each and every night. It is something that we will continue to work on as a team.”

Upcoming Games



Notebook

  • NTDP alum and Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Noah Hanifin (Boston, Mass./2013-14) scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 16 in a 4-1 loss to Anaheim. Click here for the video.
  • Hanifin's teammate in Carolina, Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./2008-10) became the first defenseman in more than a decade to score eight power-play goals  in the first 20 games of an NHL season.
  • University of Michigan freshman forward Brendan Warren (Carleton, Mich./2013-15) earned Big Ten Conference Second Star honors on Nov. 17. He posted three assists in the Wolverine’s win over Niagara University on Nov. 13.
  • Former NTDP player and assistant coach John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis./1997-99) is in his first season behind the Youngstown bench.
  • Former NTDP and current Lincoln Stars defenseman Christian Evers (Waukee, Iowa/2013-15) was selected the USHL Defenseman of the Week on Nov. 16. He tallied two goals and recorded one assist in three games.
  • Team USA holds a combined 6-6-1 (W-L-OTL) record in the USHL.
  • The U18s carry a 15-4-0-1 (W-L-OTL-T) record into this week, including a 4-1-1 (W-L-T) mark against college opponents.
  • The U18s are led by Clayton Keller (14-23), who has accumulated 37 points in 20 games. Kieffer Bellows (17-10) ranks second with 27 points while Adam Fox (2-17) is third with 19 points. Rounding out the top five are Chad Krys (Ridgefield, Conn./1-14) with 15 points and Joey Anderson (Roseville, Minn./5-9) with 14 points.
  • In goal, Jake Oettinger and Joseph Woll continue to split time for the U18s. Oettinger is 9-3 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Woll is 6-1-1 with a 1.80 GAA and a .923 save percentage.
  • The U17s have an overall record of 8-8-4 (W-L-OTL).
  • Scott Reedy (Prior Lake, Minn./9-11) leads the U17s with 20 points while Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa./7-10) is second with 17 points. Josh Norris (Oxford, Mich./7-7) places third with 14 points. Grant Mismash (Edina, Minn./6-7) is fourth with 13 points. Logan Hutsko (3-9) and Brady Tkachuk (5-7) are tied for fifth with 12 points each.
  • Goalies Dylan St. Cyr and Adam Scheel split time for the U17s. St. Cyr is 4-6-2 with a 3.37 GAA and an .887 save percentage. Scheel is 4-2-2 with a 4.25 GAA and an .883 save percentage.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.