Thursday, April 4, 2013

NTDP Announces Eight Commitments for 2013-14 Season

Press Release

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Forwards Jeremy Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.), Luke Kunin (Chesterfield, Mo.), Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Jack Roslovic (Columbus, Ohio) and Colin White (Hanover, Mass.), along with defensemen Caleb Jones (Frisco, Texas) and Charles McAvoy (Long Island, N.Y.) and goaltender Luke Opilka (St. Louis, Mo.) have committed to join USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for the 2013-14 season, it was announced today. The players, all from the 1997 birth year, will compete as members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

Bracco played for the New Jersey Rockets Junior A squad of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League this past season. He accumulated 50 points (16-34) in 30 games and was named AJHL Rookie of the Year. He is verbally committed to play college hockey at Harvard University.

Kunin comes from the St. Louis Blues Midget Minor program where he totaled 68 points (30-38) in 34 games during the 2012-13 season. He also tallied two goals and added four assists in five playoff games.

Matthews skated for the Arizona Bobcats Midget Minor program and notched 55 goals and recorded 45 assists in 48 games. He also scored four goals and collected two assists in four playoff contests.

During the 2012-13 season, Roslovic skated for the Ohio Blue Jackets Midget Minor program of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. He averaged over a point per game in 40 games, tallying 23 goals and registering 30 assists. He also scored three goals and added two assists in four playoff tilts.

White played in 22 games for the Massachusetts prep school Nobles and Greenough in 2012-13. He accumulated 32 points (18-14). He is verbally committed to attend Boston College.

Jones recently finished the 2012-13 season with the Dallas Stars Midget Minor program of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. He played in 40 games, potting two goals and earning 17 assists. He also skated in four playoff games, collecting one assist.

MacAvoy skated for the New Jersey Rockets Junior B program of the Metro Junior Hockey League during this past year. He notched 17 tallies while also assisting on 39 goals in 69 games. He was recognized as the MJHL's Offensive Defenseman of the Year.

Opilka was most recently featured between the pipes for the St. Louis Blues Midget Minor program, where he posted a 18-2-1 (W-L-T) record. He recorded a 1.55 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage while earning four shutouts. Opilka also made three appearances in the playoffs where he went 3-0-0 with a 0.33 goals against average and .979 save percentage with two shutouts.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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