Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Commits Named to U.S. Select Team
USHL stars to represent U.S. in World Junior A Challenge.
Twenty Division I commits were named to the U.S. Junior Select Team that will compete in the 2019 World Junior A Challenge from Dec. 7-15 in Dawson Creek, B.C. USA Hockey announced the team, which consists of 21 players currently in the USHL, on Tuesday.
Fourteen schools have commits on the roster. Harvard (3), Minnesota (3), Michigan (2) and Notre Dame (2) each boast multiple future players on the team.
The roster features three returnees from last year’s team that won the World Junior A Challenge: Connor Caponi (Waterloo/Denver), Mitch Miller (Tri-City/North Dakota) and Grant Silianoff (Cedar Rapids/Notre Dame).
The U.S. Junior Select Team will be coached by the same group as a year ago, led by head coach Anthony Nordeen of the Tri-City Storm. Nordeen’s assistants will be Mark Abalan (Sioux City), Shane Fukushima (Waterloo) and David Wilkie (Omaha). The staff returns after leading the U.S. to its eighth championship in 12 appearances in the World Junior A Challenge.
The U.S. will face Canada East in a pre-tournament exhibition game on Thursday, Dec. 5, before opening competition on Saturday, Dec. 7, against Canada West at 9 p.m. ET.
| 2019 U.S. Junior Select Team | ||||
| No. | Name | Pos. | Current Team | NCAA Commitment |
| 1 | Logan Stein | G | Waterloo | Ferris State |
| 2 | Mitch Miller | D | Tri-City | North Dakota |
| 4 | Luke Reid | D | Chicago | Uncommitted |
| 5 | Michael Koster | D | Tri-City | Minnesota |
| 7 | Rhett Pitlick | F | Omaha | Minnesota |
| 9 | Grant Silianoff | F | Cedar Rapids | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Nolan Krenzen | D | Sioux City | Omaha |
| 11 | Ben Meehan | D | Cedar Rapids | UMass Lowell |
| 12 | Ryder Rolston | F | Waterloo | Notre Dame |
| 13 | Gunnarwolfe Fontaine | F | Chicago | Northeastern |
| 14 | Alex Leferriere | F | Des Moines | Harvard |
| 15 | Jack Millar | D | Cedar Rapids | Colorado College |
| 16 | Trevor Kuntar | F | Youngstown | Harvard |
| 17 | Connor Caponi | F | Waterloo | Denver |
| 18 | Matt Knies | F | Tri-City | Minnesota |
| 19 | Brendan Brisson | F | Chicago | Michigan |
| 21 | Sean Farrell | F | Chicago | Harvard |
| 22 | Christian Berger | D | Omaha | Penn State |
| 23 | Josh Lopina | F | Lincoln | Massachusetts |
| 24 | Josh Groll | F | Lincoln | Michigan |
| 30 | Ethan Haider | G | Sioux City | Clarkson |