Monday, January 6, 2014

U.S. Wins World U-17 Challenge

Roster filled with future college stars claims championship game, 4-0.


U.S. Wins World U-17 Challenge
Roster filled with future college stars claims championship game, 4-0.

Sixteen college recruits led the United States to the championship at the 2014 World Under-17 Challenge, held Dec. 28-Jan. 4 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

The event featured 10 teams, five of them from regions in Canada. The U.S. beat one of those Canadian teams, Pacific, 4-0 in the championship game.

The 22-player U.S. squad was comprised of players from the U.S. Under-17 Team at the National Team Development Program and included commits to 10 different Division I programs. Boston College had three recruits on the roster, while Harvard, Michigan, Notre Dame and Wisconsin had two each.

Two of those BC recruits – forward Colin White and defenseman Noah Hanafin – earned all-tournament honors. U.S. goaltender Michael Lackey, a Princeton commit, posted the shutout in the championship game and was also named to the all-tournament team.

“This is a fun group of kids to work with,” said Don Granato, head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Team and a former star at Wisconsin. “We never lost focus throughout the tournament and continued to get better each game.”

The championship was the fourth at the event for the U.S., and marked the eighth straight time Team USA finished in the top three.

Four other college commits, including three to Western Michigan, played in the tournament for Canadian teams.

Recruits on the World Under-17 Challenge Championship Team

United States
Nick Boka Michigan
Jeremy Bracco Harvard
Christian Evers North Dakota
Christian Fischer Notre Dame
Casey Fitzgerald Boston College
Michael Floodstrand Harvard
Noah Hanafin Boston College
Luke Kunin Wisconsin
Michael Lackey Princeton
Joseph Masonius New Hampshire
Charles McAvoy Boston University
Luke Opilka Wisconsin
Jack Roslovic Miami
Matt Tkachuk Notre Dame
Brendan Warren Michigan
Colin White Boston College