Six Minnesotans, including four who skated regular shifts for their local high schools as sophomores last season, were selected to join the U.S. under-17 team that will compete Aug. 14-18 at the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia.
Forwards Cole Bumgarner (Rogers), Nathaniel Pederson (Shakopee) and Casey Vandertop (Edina) plus defenseman Nathaniel Celski (White Bear Lake) were chosen from skaters attending the recent USA Hockey Boys National 16 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y.
Team members were drawn from a different player pool than those selected to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s under-17 team and will only compete at the Five Nations Tournament.
Other Minnesotans selected were forward Luke Puchner of New Germany and Shattuck-St. Mary’s and goaltender Xavier Wendt of Plymouth and Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
The roster also includes three players from out of state who played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a boarding school in Faribault that places an emphasis on hockey. They are forward Noah Davidson of Irvine, Calif., defensemen Levi Harper of Tampa, Fla., and Odin Vauhkonen of Costa Mesa, Calif.
2024 U.S. Under-17 Select Team roster
The roster for the team that will represent the United States in the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament Aug. 14-18 in Piestany, Slovakia, with name, position, hometown and most recent program:
William Bent, forward, Dover, Mass., Mount St. Charles
Nicholas Bogas, defenseman, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
