Wednesday, November 12, 2014
21 Commits Named to U.S. Team
U.S. Junior Select Team, made up of USHL stars, to compete in World Junior A Challenge Dec. 14-20.
Twenty-one future college players have been named to the 2014 U.S. Junior Select Team that will compete in the 2014 World Junior A Challenge, Dec. 14-20 in Kindersley, Sask., USA Hockey announced Wednesday.
The 21 players – all of whom play in the USHL – are committed to 14 Division I programs. Minnesota leads all schools with three commits on the roster, while Denver, North Dakota, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Yale have two each.
Four players on the roster helped the U.S. win the 2013 event: Michigan recruit Kyle Connor, Minnesota Duluth recruit Neal Pionk, Wisconsin recruit Seamus Malone and Notre Dame recruit Andrew Oglevie.
In addition, four players on the team have been drafted by NHL teams: Cornell recruit Anthony Angello (PIT), Ohio State recruit Dakota Joshua (TOR), North Dakota recruit Shane Gersich (WSH) and Providence recruit Hayden Hawkey (MTL). The other 17 players are all eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft.
Hawkey was the lone goaltender named to the team today, as a second goaltender will be added in the future.
Former Union forward Jay Varady – in his second season as head coach and director of hockey operations with the Sioux City Musketeers – is the head coach of the team. He is assisted by Miami alum Brian Kaufman and Wisconsin Eau-Claire alum Keith Paulsen.
2014 U.S. Junior Select Team
| Forwards | USHL Team | NCAA Commitment | |
| 7 | Dylan Gambrell | Dubuque | Denver |
| 9 | Seamus Malone | Dubuque | Wisconsin |
| 10 | Andrew Oglevie | Cedar Rapids | Notre Dame |
| 12 | Brock Boeser | Waterloo | Wisconsin |
| 14 | Dakota Joshua | Sioux Falls | Ohio State |
| 15 | Thomas Novak | Waterloo | Minnesota |
| 16 | Shane Gersich | Omaha | North Dakota |
| 17 | Anthony Angello | Omaha | Cornell |
| 18 | Kyle Connor | Youngstown | Michigan |
| 19 | Joe Snively | Sioux City | Yale |
| 20 | Adam Gaudette | Cedar Rapids | Northeastern |
| 21 | Robby Jackson | Chicago | St. Cloud State |
| 22 | Tyler Sheehy | Waterloo | Minnesota |
| Defensemen | |||
| 2 | Mitch Reinke | Cedar Rapids | Michigan Tech |
| 3 | Ryan Zuhlsdorf | Sioux City | Minnesota |
| 4 | Blake Hillman | Dubuque | Denver |
| 5 | Neal Pionk | Sioux City | Minnesota Duluth |
| 6 | Charles Curti | Cedar Rapids | Yale |
| 11 | Bobby Nardella | Tri-City | Notre Dame |
| 24 | Hayden Shaw | Waterloo | North Dakota |
| Goaltender | |||
| 1 | Hayden Hawkey | Omaha | Providence |