USA: Under-18 Junior Cup Coverage
August 10-15, 2004; Czech Republic/Slovakia
USA
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The defending champions brought over a team consisting of mostly high school players, which seems to have developed into a sort of a tradition for the country at this tournament. After triumphing against Russia and Finland, the United States bowed out to Czech Republic and the downward spiral continued with two more losses, resulting in a fourth place finish. The Americans mostly impressed defensively, although few of the country's participants appear to be can't-miss talents for the upcoming draft.
Top performers
Kyle Lawson, D
Amassed three goals (three points) in four games, tied with Canada's Brendan Mikkelson as the top goal scoring defenseman at the tournament .. Led USA in shots (12) and +/- (+2) .. a deceptively quick rearguard with good lateral skating, but lacking a sharp first step .. an excellent shooter with a crisp, accurate slap shot .. a weapon on the powerplay and loves to fire the puck .. has strong passing skills, but the timing is not there yet .. solid positionally, but lacks bulk to handle bigger forwards effectively .. a right-shooting rearguard.
Amassed an assist in four matches for the Americans .. was tied with Benn Ferriero for most penalty minutes on team USA (30) .. captained his country's squad .. a swift, agile skater, he moves well laterally and has above-average top-end speed .. very strong one-on-one as he always keeps his feet moving .. successful at rushing the puck, supporting the offense .. soft hands and nice puck skills .. possesses the requisite quickness to switch effectively between offensive and defensive responsibilities .. impressive vision; makes accurate outlet passes tape-to-tape .. creative and savvy .. does not shoot as much as defensive mate Lawson; did not show much of his shooting range .. has to show a greater commitment to playing hard in traffic.
Brian Lee, D
Did not get on the scoreboard in five games of the tournament, but amassed eight shots on goal .. a quick, graceful skater both forwards and backwards .. adequate lower body strength .. demonstrated strong passing skills and good timing .. can run the power play, but played in a mainly two-way role .. savvy and poised .. has a crisp snap shot he got through traffic .. needs to get tougher and use his size more .. should show more intensity in clearing the crease .. shoots right.
Failed to put up a point at the tournament .. skates with strong bursts of speed and excellent agility .. demonstrated good puckhandling skills, soft hands and a skill to execute in traffic .. has a hard, crisp slapper with a quick release he can unload from anywhere .. drives to the net with great determination .. strong forechecker and impressed with good dedication on the backcheck .. not afraid to play the body, but is not tough .. struggled at times at the faceoff circle .. has to bulk up his arms and legs .. shoots right.
Amassed one goal, two points in five games .. second on team USA with 9 shots on goal .. a good, smooth skater for a big man with strong acceleration .. makes sharp, quick turns swiftly . crafty and tricky with the puck, often forcing opposing rearguards out of position .. maneuvers wonderfully in traffic .. great wingspan and nifty dekes .. good hand-eye coordination .. solid forechecker .. did not show elite skills near the goal area; does not have lethal in-close finishing kills .. has to learn to return back to his own end quicker .. shoots right.
Other players
Quick and instinctive .. strong down low with quick legs .. adequate glove hand .. very good skater moves lively in the crease .. positive marks for handling traffic in front of him .. goes down too quickly on many shots .. rebound control is ok .. consistency is an issue; looked unbeatable in one match, very mortal in the other.
Kevin Deeth, F
Diminutive guy with great wheels .. skates with a choppy stride .. quick feet and deceptively explosive acceleration .. nice agility and good top-end speed .. a tenacious forechecker and a good stickhandler .. excellent energy and feet are always in motion .. impressive offensive instincts .. has a quick release on his wrister .. has trouble handling heavy traffic and tends to bounce off bigger opponents .. mostly disappeared in his own end .. very entertaining to watch, but finishing upside is ambiguous.
A decent skater with solid straightaway speed .. so-so acceleration and average footspeed .. likes to jump into the play and support the offense .. impresses with strong passing skills .. suffered from odd positional breakdowns, which forced his partner to make up for his mistakes .. adequate shot from the point; did not test the goalie much with his shooting .. pretty tough along the boards .. only blemish were his defensive lapses.
Grinds and mucks .. adequate skater with nice balance, but not especially quick .. average hands; average puck skills .. possesses a sharp, accurate wrist shot .. there is a noticeable mean streak here .. hits hard, but not always accurately .. tends to take some undisciplined penalties .. shoots right .. spent too much time in the penalty box instead of providing energy on the ice.
Skates well with sound straightaway speed .. nice balance and impressive lower body strength .. savvy and knows how to find his linemates .. always looking to find the open man .. makes plays from both sides of the rink .. sees the ice well .. does not seem to yet have a real sniper instinct in rushing situations .. average array of shots; decent snap shot .. has to identify his player in the defensive zone quicker .. best playmaker US had to offer.
Sturdy skater with a balanced skating style and a powerful stride but average speed .. does not have the softest hands on the puck .. sometimes struggles at finding open lanes .. a character guy who mucks well in the corners .. plays the body with authority at open ice and along the boards .. adequate defensive awareness .. stood up to protect his teammates.
Gary Steffes, F
Not polished on his skates, but gets from point A to point B .. surprisingly sneaky when the puck is in his sights .. nice shot variety, although does not have a hard slapper .. has impressive scoring instincts, but disappears off the puck .. afraid of heavy traffic .. shoots right .. unspectacular.
Evan Trupp, F
Above-average skater with adequate quickness, agility and balance .. maneuvers deceptively in heavy traffic .. works hard in all three zones .. good defensive awareness and positional play .. average hands and so-so puck skills .. often struggles at corralling passes .. average variety of shots .. threw a few hits .. late 87-born .. on and off; some good shifts were followed by uninspired ones.