Five Eagles Named to U.S. National Jr. Prelim Roster

Dec. 2, 2014

Full Roster (USAHockey.com)

Full Schedule (USAHockey.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Sophomores Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif.), Ian McCoshen (Faribault, Minn.) and Steve Santini (Mahopac, N.Y.) alongside freshmen Noah Hanifin (Norwood, Mass.) and Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) will represent Boston College as five of 30 skaters to be selected for the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster as announced by USA Hockey on Tuesday, Dec. 2. 

The 30-man preliminary roster will participate in training camp just down the street at Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014. 

Once the final roster is announced on Wednesday, Dec. 24, the U.S. National Junior Team will participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship from Dec. 26, 2014 – Jan. 5, 2015 in both Montreal and Toronto, Canada.  Prior to the start of the IIHF World Junior Championship, the U.S. will practice at Walter Brown Arena from Dec. 16 to Dec. 19 and culminate that stage with a scrimmage against Boston University on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. 

The pre-tournament schedule will begin on Dec. 21 at the Roger K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario, with an early practice followed by an exhibition against Germany that evening at 7 p.m. Team USA will also scrimmage Sweden on Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 7 p.m. 

Of the 30 preliminary roster skaters, 18 hail from college hockey. Boston College and the University of Michigan lead Team USA with five representatives apiece. 

In all, Hockey East placed six players on the inductive squad. Including BC’s five, Boston University’s Jack Eichel will also head to World Junior Camp. 

Amongst all first-year skaters through Dec. 2, Tuch is 18th in freshmen scoring averaging 0.71 ppg and tied for fourth with all other rookies in Hockey East. 

Demko will return to the team after being named one of three netminders for the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team. The San Diego native did not see any action in last year’s tournament but will be regarded as one of Team USA’s top goaltenders in 2015. Through 13 games started, Demko is 7-6-0 with a 2.24 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. 

Three of BC’s blue liners will head to camp as Santini and McCoshen are second-time representatives. Hanifin will make his debut and is the third-youngest skater on Team USA’s roster. 

Santini scored a power play goal in an 8-0 rout of Germany on Dec. 29, 2014, in last year’s tournament. The Mahopac, N.Y., native suffered a wrist injury on Oct. 25 and has not played since, but is targeting a return date around the World Junior Championship. 

McCoshen is currently tied for fourth in plus/minus on BC’s club with a +6 rating and has scored a goal with three assists. The Faribault, Minn., native also leads the Eagles in penalty minutes (10-for-20). 

Hanifin has tallied a pair of goals along with five assists and is currently tied for seventh in scoring on Boston College’s roster. His mark of 0.50 ppg is tied for 10th amongst all Hockey East defensemen. 

Four of the five Eagle selections played for the U.S. National Under-18 Team, including Demko, Hanifin, Santini and Tuch. Hanifin and Tuch were members of the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team that won gold at the 2014 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship. 

The three BC sophomores and two freshmen will be joined by another Eagle at camp. In his second season as assistant coach at Boston College, Mike Ayers was named an assist coach of the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team. Mark Osiecki (former head coach of Ohio State) will serve as head coach while Ayers, Don Granato (U.S. National Team Development Program) and Kevin Patrick (Vermont) will serve as the assistants.  

This marks the second-consecutive year a member of the Boston College coaching staff has been selected to represent the United States as a member of the team's coaching staff. For the 2014 World Junior Championship, BC associate head coach Greg Brown was an assistant coach for the U.S. National Junior Team.  

Since 1981, 38 Eagles have donned the red, white and blue for Team USA in the World Junior Championship, including Demko, McCoshen and Santini. If all five Eagles make the final roster, that number will escalate to 40. 

Below is BC’s all-time World Junior Championships list from 1981 to now:

1981
Jim Chisholm
Bob O'Connor

1983
Scott Harlow

1985
Craig Janney
Brian Leetch

1986
Greg Brown
Craig Janney
Brian Leetch
Dan Shea 

1987
Greg Brown
Brian Leetch 

1988
Ted Crowley
David Emma
Steve Scheifele 

1989
Ted Crowley
David Emma
Steve Heinze
Bill Guerin 

1990
Mark Beran
Ted Crowley
Bill Guerin 

1991
Ian Moran 

1996
Marty Reasoner
Jeff Farkas 

1997
Blake Bellefeuille
Marty Reasoner
Jeff Farkas 

1998
Bobby Allen
Jeff Farkas
Brian Gionta
Mike Mottau 

1999
Brian Gionta  