Players Mentioned
SCSU recruit invited to USA Hockey Junior Evaluation Camp
6/21/2016 8:28:00 PM | Men's Hockey
USA Hockey announced today the 42 players that have been invited to the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, July 30-Aug. 7, at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. The players will audition for a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team that will take part in the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, December 26, 2016, through January 5, 2017, in Montreal and Toronto, Canada.
This group of players includes St. Cloud State University men's hockey recruit Jack Ahcan, who is a resident of Savage, Minn. The USHL Defenseman of the Year for 2015-16, Ahcan played this past season with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders.
Ahcan posted 15 goals and 32 points for Cedar Rapids in 2015-16. He is the first SCSU recruit to win USHL Defenseman of the Year honors since former Husky Jeff Finger won the award in 1999-00. Former SCSU standout Josh DeWolf also won the award in 1995-96. Ahcan played prep hockey at Burnsville High School.
SCSU head coach Bob Motzko has been selected to serve as the head coach for the 2017 USA Hockey National Junior Team. In 2016, SCSU's Will Borgen played for the USA Hockey National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championships in Finland.
For the complete list of players invited to the 2016 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, click here.
Of the 42 players attending, five are returnees from last year's U.S. National Junior Team that claimed the bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki, Finland. Additionally, 31 players have won medals at IIHF events. For a breakdown, click here.
The United States, which has medaled in four of the last seven IIHF World Junior Championships (gold - 2010, 2013; bronze - 2011, 2016), aims to claim back-to-back medal finishes for the second time ever (2010 - gold, 2011 - bronze).
The week-long camp will include 10 international competitions between Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. For a complete camp schedule, click here.
