Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Skaters, Coaches Active in USA Hockey Camps
8/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Aug. 9, 2006
East Lansing, Mich. - Members of the Spartan hockey program have their talents on display this week with USA Hockey, as Justin Abdelkader (Muskegon, Mich.) and Mike Ratchuk (Buffalo, NY) completed their tryout at the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY while assistant coach Brian Renfrew is an assistant coach at the Under-17 Three Nations Tournament, which will run from August 12-18 at the ESL Sports Centre in Rochester, N.Y.
USA Hockey Junior National Evaluation Camp Website
 Mike Ratchuk  | |
Abdelkader, a sophomore, and Ratchuk, who will begin his Spartan career in the coming weeks, were among the 43 players in Lake Placid at the Junior Evaluation Camp. The pair were teammates on the white team, which completed the camp with an undefeated 4-0 record to help the US to a combined 7-1-0 mark against foreign competition during the week. Abdelkader finished with a goal and three assists and was whistled for two penalties, while Ratchuk had a goal and a pair of helpers in four games and was also called for two infractions.
Participants in the evaluation camp were vying for spots on the U.S. World Junior National Team which will compete in the IIHF World Junior Championship Leksand and Mora, Sweden in late December. The US team will be named later in the year for the 10-team tournament which features the world's top hockey players under 20 years of age. Several Spartans have participated in this prestigious tournament, most recently when Dominic Vicari won gold with the US in 2004 with former MSU teammates David Booth and Corey Potter.
Meanwhile, Renfrew will assist at the Three Nations Tournament next week in Rochester. This tournament will feature the top 1990 and 1991 birthdates; the United States will field two Under-17 Select Teams - Team White and Team Blue - consisting of 20 players each. Last August, the U.S. Under-17 Select Team finished first in the 2005 Five Nations Tournament in Switzerland, compiling a 3-0-1 overall record in games against Slovakia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Renfrew will be an assistant to Cary Eades (an assistant coach at North Dakota) on the white team, while Keith McKittrick, who serves as the Assistant to the Head Coach for the Spartan Hockey program and Rick Comley, will also be in Rochester, assisting as Team White's video coordinator.
