College Hockey:

Schroeder Heads List of Invitees to U.S. World Junior Camp

Minnesota forward Jordan Schroeder will be looking for a third straight place on the United States roster for the World Junior Championships when he and 28 others take part in a pre-tournament training camp later this month.

Schroeder, the only one of the 29 players invited who has taken part in both the 2008 and 2009 World Juniors, is one of 15 current college players on the camp roster.

That camp takes place Dec. 17-19 in Grand Forks, N.D., and the 22-player roster will be named after an exhibition game against the Czech Republic on Dec. 22 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

The World Juniors run Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

St. Cloud State freshman Mike Lee is one of two goaltenders listed, indicating that the U.S. has already made its decision about that position.

Five of the 11 defensemen are collegians: Denver’s Matt Donovan, Wisconsin’s Jake Gardiner and John Ramage, and Boston University’s Max Nicastro and David Warsofsky.

Nine of the 16 forwards are currently in college: Michigan’s Chris Brown and David Wohlberg, Rensselaer’s Jerry D’Amigo, Boston College’s Chris Kreider, North Dakota’s Danny Kristo, Notre Dame’s Kyle Palmieri, Boston University’s Vinny Saponari, Schroeder and Wisconsin’s Derek Stepan.

The U.S. has only three players back from last year’s World Juniors team — Schroeder, Kristo and forward Tyler Johnson of the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs.

Nebraska-Omaha coach Dean Blais is the U.S. coach, while Wisconsin assistant Mark Osiecki and Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school hockey director Tom Ward are assistants. U.S. national goaltending coach Joe Exter, a former Merrimack goaltender, serves in that capacity for the team. Former Yale coach Tim Taylor is the director of player personnel.

Here is the full camp roster:

GOALTENDERS (2)  Ht, wt   2009-10 Team (League)Jack Campbell   6-2, 185  U.S. NTDPMike Lee     6-1, 195  St. Cloud State (WCHA)
DEFENSEMEN (11)  Ht, wt   2009-10 Team (League)John Carlson   6-3, 210  Hershey (AHL)Matt Donovan   6-0, 190  Denver (WCHA)Justin Faulk   5-11, 195 U.S. NTDPCam Fowler    6-2, 198  Windsor (OHL)Jake Gardiner   6-2, 200  Wisconsin (WCHA)Brian Lashoff   6-3, 204  Kingston (OHL)Jon Merrill    6-3, 200  U.S. NTDPJohn Moore    6-2, 200  Kitchener (OHL)Max Nicastro   6-2, 189  Boston University (HEA)John Ramage    6-0, 195  Wisconsin (WCHA)David Warsofsky  5-9, 170  Boston University (HEA)
FORWARDS (16)   Ht, wt   2009-10 Team (League)Ryan Bourque   5-8, 170  Quebec (QMJHL)Chris Brown    6-2, 191  Michigan (CCHA)Jerry DAmigo   5-11, 200 Rensselaer (ECACHL)A.J. Jenks    6-2, 205  Plymouth (OHL)Tyler Johnson   5-8, 171  Spokane (WHL)Chris Kreider   6-2, 206  Boston College (HEA)Danny Kristo   6-0, 184  North Dakota (WCHA)Philip McRae   6-3, 198  London (OHL)Jeremy Morin   6-1, 196  Kitchener (OHL)Kyle Palmieri   5-11, 196 Notre Dame (CCHA)Vinny Saponari  6-0, 190  Boston University (HEA)Jordan Schroeder 5-9, 185  Minnesota (WCHA)Derek Stepan   6-1, 183  Wisconsin (WCHA)Luke Walker    6-1, 185  Portland (WHL)David Wohlberg  6-1, 192  Michigan (CCHA)Jason Zucker   5-10, 180 U.S. NTDP

Canada, meanwhile, invited three U.S. collegiate players to its 36-player camp: Minnesota-Duluth defenseman Dylan Olsen, Denver defenseman Patrick Wiercioch and Harvard forward Louis Leblanc.