Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Recruits Competing on International Stage

IIHF events in Nova Scotia and Ann Arbor showcase some elite future NCAA talent.

Recruits Competing on International Stage
Cornell recruit Michael McCarron and the U.S. Under-18 Team defeated Finland Tuesday (photo courtesy of USA Hockey/Jonathan Knight)

Early November marks the first IIHF break of the 2012-13 season, a time set aside for international tournaments around the globe. A number of future college players are taking part in two events: the World Junior A Challenge in Nova Scotia and the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Official Sites: World Junior A Challenge | Under-18 Four Nations Tournament

Team USA is off to fast starts in both events. In Nova Scotia, the U.S. Junior Select team posted victories against Canada East, 9-1, and Switzerland, 4-3, to advance to the tournament semifinals. The U.S. team is made up almost entirely of USHL players (Boston College commit Ryan Fitzgerald is the lone exception). Through two days Fitzgerald leads the tournament in goals (3), while his future Eagle teammate Austin Cangelosi shares the lead in points (4).

Both Canadian entries in the World Junior A Challenge – Canada East and Canada West – feature a number of future college players. They each wrap up preliminary round play on Wednesday.

Under-18s Start Strong

In Ann Arbor, the U.S. National Under-18 Team defeated Finland, 3-1, on Tuesday and faces Switzerland Wednesday. Sweden is the fourth country that sent an entry to the tournament.

“It was important for us to start this tournament off on the right foot, especially as the host country”, said head coach Don Granato. “We’ll build off tonight’s win and start preparation for Switzerland immediately, as we expect a very competitive game tomorrow.”

Almost every member of the U.S. Under-18 Team has already committed to a Division I school.

Across the Pond

The U.S. National Under-17 Team, meanwhile, travels to Switzerland to participate in its Four Nations Tournament. That event, which begins Friday, will also feature Slovakia and Russia.

“Switzerland, Slovakia and Russia will be a good test for us,” head coach Danton Cole said. “We need to [play] consistently, and if we do that, we will have success, but if we don’t, it will be a crapshoot. We need to have some success and hopefully build on that the rest of the year and finish well.”

The majority of the players on the Under-17 roster have committed to Division I schools.