USHL Report: USNTDP U-17 Part II

The USNTDP's Under-17 team went 15-6-0-1 in USHL regular season play following the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in late December and early January, and that impressive mark helped "The Program" earn the fourth seed in the East Division.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey enters notes on Nicolas Kerdiles, Frankie Vatrano, Thomas DiPauli and a few more of the Under-17 team's top forwards who played with the team down the USHL stretch drive.

Nicolas Kerdiles (2012), C, USA U-17

Top offensive talent amongst the Under-17 team's forwards and was selected to play for Team USA at the World Under-18 Championships .. has good cruising speed with the puck .. able to employ nice speed bursts to open up defensemen and drive the net .. displays confidence with the puck and will venture into traffic .. has a good set of hands and can make quick t-drags and sweeps across his body .. became more successful in beating USHL opponents as the season went on, as he had the puck stripped less and started using sheer speed even more .. has a hard, crisp wristshot .. also sports a hard, smooth slapshot .. has good finishing abilities around the net .. also has good offensive vision for creating plays around the net and off the half boards .. a regular on the powerplay for the Under-17 team and also saw semi-regular time on the PK .. saw some time on the PP with the Under-18 team .. displays a decent commitment to defense in using his speed on the forecheck and the backcheck .. hustles on the backcheck .. strong in the faceoff circle and wins his fair share of draws .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and plays with some physicality .. finishes his checks on the forecheck and is a threat to play the body from the side on the backcheck .. poised to be the offensive leader for the Under-18 in 2011-12 .. scored 17 goals and 10 assists in 40 total games for the Under-17 team .. scored 5 goals and 4 assists in 11 international games for the Under-17 team .. scored 3 goals and 7 assists in 20 total games with the Under-18 team .. scored 0 goals and 2 assists in 6 games at the World Under-18 Championships .. scored 1 goal and 1 assists in 6 other international games for the Under-18 team, including two exhibition games prior to the Worlds .. committed to Wisconsin (2012-13).

Frankie Vatrano (2012), LW, USA U-17

Stout power forward brings an offensive and physical presence .. has decent cruising speed with the puck, but is noticeably faster without it .. able to employ good speed bursts with the puck to drive wide and drive the net .. has powerful acceleration and displays it often on the backcheck .. displayed his impressive top speed in catching some of the USHL's fastest on the backcheck .. uses his quickness to man the point well .. able to get down low in his turns and make impressive cuts .. now displaying good patience with the puck in making plays off the half boards out front or to trailers .. also displays poise with the puck in the defensive zone in not rushing the breakout .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. likes to utilize his defensemen off the half boards as pointmen and as trailers crashing the net .. has a hard, crisp wristshot .. also has a decent slapshot .. does a good job of firing his shots in stride .. appeared to be doing a better job of not making an extra move before shooting the puck, thus telegraphing his intention to the goaltender less .. stout at 5-foot-10, 215 pounds and adds some physicality .. able to thrust up into his hits .. will come across the offensive zone for big hits .. a distinct threat to lay down a check from the side early on the backcheck .. also uses his sturdy frame to bull his way through traffic .. projects to play on either the first or second line for the Under-18 team in 2011-12 .. finished the season with 19 goals and 11 assists in 53 total games with the Under-17 team .. scored 4 goals and 6 assists in 14 international games .. committed to Boston College (2012-13).

Thomas DiPauli (2012), C, USA U-17

Solid, all-around hockey player .. nice cruising speed with the puck .. smooth crossovers and can build good speed coming out from behind his net to begin the breakout .. able to get down low in his turns and make nice cuts on the forecheck to stick with opponents .. has smooth, fairly powerful stride .. poised and confident with the puck and isn't afraid to venture into traffic .. smooth stickhandler who can make nice sweeps across his body to maintain possession and drive the net .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. accurate passer while in stride and while circling .. doesn't have a tendency to pass when he should shoot, but would still like to see him get more shots each game given the ice time he receives .. plays a conscientious two-way game .. puts in a good effort on the forecheck and the backcheck .. does a good job of helping his defensemen down low .. adequate size at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds .. finishes his checks on the forecheck and can do so with force .. also steps up for hits in the neutral zones from time to time .. served as an alternate captain .. odds-on favorite to serve as the second-line center for the Under-18 team, but Miles Koules could displace him if the latter has a strong summer and adds speed and explosiveness .. finished the season with 7 goals and 20 assists in 49 total games for the Under-17 team .. played two games for the Under-18 team in mid-October and had 1 goal and 1 assist .. committed to Notre Dame (2012-13 or 2013-14).

Stefan Matteau (2012), LW, USA U-17

Power forward with more offensive upside than his stats showed this season .. has decent speed and acceleration with the puck, but does need to continue to improve in this area .. can employ decent speed bursts to drive wide or race for dumped pucks .. needs to improve skating mechanics a bit .. guilty of employing a sprinter's kick and running on his skates a bit .. needs to work not to get upright under acceleration .. good size at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and uses it well to protect the puck along the boards and in open ice in the offensive zone .. heads-up with the puck and is a fairly smooth stickhandler .. has excellent shot power .. the puck seems to just fly off his stick with seemingly little effort .. has a hard, smooth slapshot .. also sports a hard, crisp wristshot and snapshot .. plays a physical game .. rattles opposing defensemen by crashing in on the forecheck .. finishes his checks and seems to throw himself into some of his checks .. employs stiff-arms with the puck and can just push over opponents when employing them defensively .. good for at least one big hit per game .. was suspended 8 USHL games March 16 due to a rink-long charge on Fargo's Colten St. Clair .. has the upside to be a top-six forward for the Under-18 team in 2011-12, but the search for line balance makes it more probable he's on the third line .. could fall to the fourth line, though .. finished the season with 7 goals and 11 assists in 47 total games for the Under-17 team .. scored 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 international games for the Under-17 team .. committed to North Dakota (2012-13).

Matthew Lane (2012), LW, USA U-17

Offense started to come a bit more for the speedster as season progressed .. best skater amongst the Under-17 team's forwards .. excellent speed with and without the puck .. explosive acceleration and impressive speed bursts allow him to win a lot of races and establish position for the puck .. stays down low and has a smooth, powerful stride with good extension .. gets low in his turns and can make sharp cuts .. able to get well out over his edges at speed .. ability to make quick, powerful stops and starts makes him extremely useful on the penalty kill, where he sees regular time .. has good all-around shot power, as every shot in his arsenal is hard .. adept at shooting the puck in stride .. fairly poised with the puck and is a heads-up stickhandler who can assess his options .. able to protect the puck with tight switchbacks along the boards .. makes crisp passes .. not big at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, but will engage physically and is strong on his skates .. sheer skating ability helped establish himself as one of the team's top six forwards, as he started seeing fairly regular time on the powerplay late in the season .. finished the season with 9 goals and 13 assists in 55 total games .. scored 5 goals and 1 assist in 14 international games .. played 1 game for the Under-18 team in mid-January .. no college commitment of yet.

Cameron Darcy (2012), RW, USA U-17

Not particularly noticeable, but plays a reliable two-way game .. has okay to decent speed, but is a bit of an upright skater .. guilty of dropping his chest and adding a sprinter's kick to his stride at times .. demonstrates good hustle, which is one reason he sees regular time on the PK .. makes good defensive reads and can interrupt the opponent's breakout .. decent size at 6-foot-0, 180 pounds and will engage physically .. finishes his check on the forecheck and will hustle and play the body from the side on the backcheck .. didn't receive a lot of touches during games, but his poise with the puck improved over the course of the season .. assist totals didn't show it, but he has decent offensive vision to see teammates through traffic .. able to finish his chances .. saw some time on the powerplay now and again .. figures to be either the third- or fourth-line right winger for the Under-18 team in 2011-12 .. finished the season with 14 goals and 7 assists in 54 total games for the Under-17 team .. scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 14 international games .. committed to Northeastern (2012-13).

Kyle Osterberg (2012), LW, USA U-17

Speedy like Lane and a tad smaller, but more physical .. has a powerful stride and explosive speed bursts .. has very good cruising speed with the puck and can weave his way through the neutral zone .. uses his quickness well on the penalty kill .. puts in a good defensive effort forechecking and backchecking .. hustles on the backcheck and will play the body from the side .. small in stature at 5-foot-7, 165 pounds, but plays a scrappy game .. finishes his checks on the forecheck and is a threat to make open-ice hits, too .. will engage physically going for the puck .. has a hard wristshot with a quick release .. has a decent set of hands for making toe drags and can make opposing defensemen look silly when combining it with his speed .. ice time seemed to be reduced a bit at the end of the season .. PK time was cut, but did still see some time on the powerplay .. was a healthy scratch for one of the Under-17 team's USHL playoff games .. could be a top-nine forward for the Under-18 team in 2011-12, but may be destined to be the fourth-line left winger next season .. finished the season with 7 goals and 13 assists in 53 total games for the Under-17 team .. scored 4 goals and 4 assists in 14 international games .. committed to Minnesota-Duluth (2013-14).