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NTDP Set for Three Post-Holiday Break Matchups

By usahockeyntdp.com, 12/28/16, 2:45PM EST

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The U18s hosts Trinity College on Friday before traveling to Youngstown and the U17s travel to Muskegon for single matchup.

USA Hockey National Team Development Program Notebook

Photo by Rena Laverty

NTDP Notebook Week of Dec. 26-Jan.1

The U18s host Trinity College for a Friday matinee at USA Hockey Arena before traveling to Youngstown to take on the Phantoms on Saturday. The U17s travel to Muskegon for a single game matchup with the 'Jacks on Friday evening.

U17s Matchup

Friday @ Muskegon Lumberjacks

Puck Drop: 7:15 p.m. ET

Stream: HockeyTv.com

Live Stats

Tickets

U18s Matchups

Friday vs. Trinity College

Puck Drop: 2 p.m. ET

Stream: HockeyTv.com

Live Stats

Tickets

Saturday @ Youngstown Phantoms

Puck Drop: 2:30 p.m.

Stream: HockeyTv.com

Live Stats

Matchup Previews

BATTLING THE BANTAMS: Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Trinity College (founded in 1823 as Washington College) was just the second college founded at that time in Connecticut.

Trinity College started a men’s hockey program in 1974-75, going 9-8-0 in their first season. The Bantams play in the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference. Trinity has three NESCAC championships (2003, 2008 and 2016) and finished second twice (2002 and 2004). The Bantams won the NCAA Division III men’s championship in 2015.

Trinity comes into today’s contest at 5-3-1 overall this season and 2-2-0 in the NESCAC.

Sean Orlando (6-9-15) and Ryan Cole (5-9-14) lead the Bantams in scoring this season. 

Alex Morin has started seven games for Trinity this year, amassing a record of 3-3-1 with a 2.55 goals-against-average and .898 save percentage.

#USHLRIVALS: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will travel to Muskegon, Michigan, to take on the Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League at 7:15 p.m. ET Friday (Dec. 30). The matchup marks the fifth of sixth eventual matchups between the two squads during the 2016-17 campaign. The U17s topped its only USHL in-state opponent, 7-2, on Sept. 23 in the first game of the USHL regular season, but has fallen to the Lumberjacks in the other three meetings.

PUMMELING THE PHANTOMS: On Saturday, the U18s travel to Youngstown for the second time this season. Their fourth matchup this season will take place at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Covelli Center.

The Phantoms come into the matchup sitting in second place in the USHL's Eastern Conference with 35 points and a record of 16-9-2-1. 

Youngstown is led offensively by Nicolas Werbik and Alex Esposito who have each recorded 23 points (10-13-23) that leaves them tied for ninth in USHL scoring. 

Ivan Kulbakov has backstopped the Phantoms in 21 games this season, registering a record of 12-5-2-1 with a 1.84 goals-against average and .923 save-percentage. 

In their last matchup, the Phantoms narrowly defeated the U18s, 3-2, at the Covelli Center.

Notes

U18S STAY HOT: The U18s come into this weekend riding a four-game winning streak (all in the USHL), and are 12-5-0 since November 1. The Under-18 Team is above the .500 mark with a 15-14-2 record overall.

The U18s completed the pre-holiday portion of the schedule with a sweep on Dec. 16-17 in Madison against the Capitols, winning 5-2 and 7-5. Scott Reedy had the hat trick in the Dec. 17 win and added a goal in the victory on Dec. 16.

HOT HUGHES: U18S defenseman Quinn Hughes starts this weekend as the most recent CCM/USHL Defenseman of the Week. He dished out one assist on Dec. 16 in the victory against Madison before adding four helpers on Dec. 17. It is the third time in his USHL career and second time this season he’s been named CCM/USHL Defenseman of the Week. Hughes now has six assists in his last three games and also tallied five assists on Nov. 23 en route to his first Defenseman of the Week honor this season. He has 14 points (1G, 13A) this season to lead all Team USA players in USHL action.

FEELIN' GOLD: The U.S. National Under-17 Team is coming off a first-place finish at the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, which took place from Dec. 14-18 in Monthey, Switzerland. Team USA topped the host country, 4-2, in a pre-tournament tilt before beating Slovakia and Russia in tournament play. The U.S. fell to Switzerland in overtime in its final game, but still finished in first place because of its  2-0-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record.

WISE GUY: Jake Wise (North Andover, Mass.) led the Under-17 Team in scoring at the 2016 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) in four games, including the pre-tournament matchup. He was followed by Joel Farabee (Cicero, N.Y.) and Oliver Wahlstrom (Quincy, Mass.) in team scoring at the event with five points apiece (Farabee: 3 goals, 2 assists; Wahlstrom: 2 goals; 3 assists).

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: The U.S. National Junior Team currently competing in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada boasts 17 NTDP alumni. Team USA won its opening game of the tournament, a 6-1 victory against Latvia. Nine NTDP alumni added points in the U.S. win, including multiple-point performances from Clayton Keller (2014-16), Troy Terry (2014-15), Tage Thompson (2014-15) and Colin White (2013-15).

The NHL Network is broadcasting all Team USA games and many other games of the World Junior Championship.

More information about Team USA and the World Junior Championship can be found here.

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