Dec. 18, 1997
Notre Dame's Dusbabek, Simon Named to U.S. National Junior Hockey Team
HACKENSACK, N.J. - Notre Dame sophomore forwards Joe
Dusbabek (Faribault, Minn.) and Ben Simon (Shaker Heights,
Ohio) have been named to the 22-player United States national
junior team, which will compete in the upcoming World Junior
Championship, Dec. 25-Jan. 3 in Helsinki and Hameenlinna,
Finland.
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Ben Simon has a team-leading 21 points this season. (File Photo)
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Dusbabek and Simon emerged from a 28-player tryout camp and are
two of 10 current college players who will represent the U.S.
in Finland. They join Michigan State forward Mike York as the
only players on the 1997-98 U.S. national junior team who
currently play for schools in the Central Collegiate Hockey
Association.
Boston College placed three players on the national junior
team, followed by Notre Dame (2), Wisconsin (1), Providence
(1), Minnesota (1) and MSU (1). Virtually all of the players on
the national junior team--18 of 22 (including both Notre Dame
players)--competed with the U.S. in late August at the
international Tampere Cup in Finland. Simon and Dusbabek
will miss four upcoming Notre Dame games while competing with
the national junior team, including the prestigious University
of Minnesota Mariucci Classic (Dec. 27-28) and a two-game
homestand vs. Miami University (Jan. 2-3). Simon missed
three Irish games last season while helping the U.S. capture
the silver medal at the 1996-97 World Junior Championship in
Switzerland. The runner-up showing represented the best U.S.
finish in the 21-year history of the tournament and was
highlighted by a tie vs. Canada in the round-robin play. Simon
is one of five returning forwards from that 1996-97 U.S. world
junior team, joining York, former linemate Farkas, Jess
Boulerice (Mooers, N.Y.) and Toby Peterson (Colorado College).
The U.S. also returns defensemen Chris Hajt (Amherst, N.Y.) and
Paul Mara (Belmont, Mass.) and goaltender Robert Esche
(Whitesboro, N.Y.) from last year's silver-medal-winning team.
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Joe Dusbabek has contibuted a goal and nine assists for the Irish this season. (File Photo)
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Dusbabek and Simon have faced five of their national teammates
this season: Boston College's Farkas, forward Brian Gionta and
defenseman Mike Mottau, MSU's York and Wisconsin forward Dustin
Kuk. BC won an exciting game at Notre Dame, 3-2, with Mottau
scoring the first goal and assisting on the second to sparked
an Eagles' comeback from a 2-0 deficit (Simon scored the second
Irish goal in that game). Notre Dame lost at home to MSU on
Oct. 31 (5-1), with Simon scoring a goal and York notching an
assist, but the Irish then posted a stunning win at MSU the
next day, with Simon totaling a goal and an assist. The
Spartans won the series finale, at home on Nov. 8 (3-1), with
Dusbabek assisting on the lone Irish goal.
The Irish won at Wisconsin on Dec. 10 (4-2), with Simon netting
his third shorthanded goal of the season and Dusbabek notching
an assist, before the Badgers overcame two assists from Simon
to win two days later at Notre Dame (3-2), with Kuk netting the
game-winner. The national junior team includes a sixth
player from a team on Notre Dame's 1997-98 schedule--Minnesota
forward Aaron Miskovich, who will join Simon and Dusbabek in
missing the Mariucci Classic. The other current college players
on the national junior team are Colorado College's Peterson and
Providence forward Jay Leach.
Simon and Dusbabek are two of 15 National Hockey League draft
picks on the 1997-98 U.S. national junior team. Simon was
selected in the fifth round by the Chicago Blackhawks last
spring, followed by Dusbabek's seventh-round selection by the
San Jose Sharks.
Simon has had a strong start to his second
season with the Irish. The speedy center leads Notre Dame and
ranks eighth in the CCHA with 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists),
having notched a point in 14 of 18 games this season. Dusbabek
has struggled to find the net, after sharing for the Irish
scoring lead (13 G, 12 A) as a freshman. The physical Dusbabek
has just one goal on 36 shots from his right wing spot this
season but is tied for fourth on the team with nine assists.
1997-98 U.S. National Junior Hockey Team
Name Ht./Wt. Birthdate S/C 1996-97 Team Hometown
GOALTENDERS (2)
31 Robert Esche*# 6-2/200 7/5/78 L Plymouth (OHL) Whitesboro, NY
01 Jean-Marc Pelletier# 6-3/200 3/4/78 L Rimvski (QMJHL) Atlanta, GA
DEFENSEMEN (7)
04 Chris Hajt*# 6-4/210 7/5/78 L Guelph Storm (OHL) Amherst, NY
06 Kevin Kellet# 6-1/200 7/23/78 R Prince Albert (WHL) Lewiston, ME
05 Jay Leach 6-3/205 9/2/79 L Providence College Altamont, NY
02 Paul Mara*# 6-4/205 9/7/79 L Sudbury Wolves (OHL) Belmont, MA
26 Mike Mottau# 6-0/190 3/19/78 L Boston College Avon, MA
07 Chris St. Croix# 6-2/185 5/2/79 R Kamloops Blazers(WHL) Voorhees, N.J.
03 Nikos Tselios# 6-2/185 1/3/78 L Plymouth (OHL) Glen Ellyn, IL
FORWARDS (13)
18 Jesse Boulerice*# 6-3/215 8/10/78 R Plymouth (OHL) Mooers, NY
12 Kevin Colley 5-9/175 1/4/79 R Oshawa (OHL) New Haven, CT
33 Joe Dusbabek# 6-1/195 5/1/78 R Univ. of Notre Dame Faribault, MN
19 Jeff Farkas*# 6-1/160 1/24/78 L Boston College Williamsville, NY
24 Brian Gionta# 5-8/150 1/18/79 R Boston College Rochester, NY
11 Scott Gomez# 5-11/170 12/23/79 L Tri-Cities (WHL) Anchorage, AK
17 Ty Jones# 6-3/215 2/22/79 R Spokane Chiefs (WHL) Eagle River, AK
29 Dustin Kuk 6-1/185 1/29/79 L Univ. of Wisconsin Livonia, MI
09 David Legwand# 6-1/170 8/17/80 L Plymouth (OHL) Grosse Pt. Woods, MI
15 Aaron Miskovich# 5-10/170 4/28/78 L Univ. of Minnesota Grand Rapids, MN
25 Toby Petersen*# 5-10/195 10/27/78 L Colorado College Bloomington, MN
08 Ben Simon*# 6-0/175 6/14/78 L Univ. of Notre Dame Shaker Heights, OH
16 Mike York* 5-11/170 1/3/78 R Michigan State Waterford, MI
* = member of 1996-97 U.S. junior national team
# = member of 1997 U.S. Tampere Cup team
STAFF: head coach Jeff Jackson, assistants Greg Cronin and Bob Mancini
1997-98 World Junior Championship - Team USA Schedule (all times local)
Pre-Tournament Competition
Dec. 21, 4:00 p.m. USA vs. Finland (at Helsinki)
Dec. 23, 6:30 p.m. USA vs. Russia (at Helsinki)
Game Schedule
Dec. 25, 3:00 p.m. USA vs. Slovakia (at Helsinki)
Dec. 26, 3:00 p.m. USA vs. Kazakhstan (at Helsinki)
Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m. USA vs. Russia (at Hameenlinna)
Dec. 30, 6:30 p.m. USA vs. Switzerland (at Hameenlinna)
Dec. 31, TBA Quarterfinals (at Hameenlinna)
Jan. 1, TBA Relegation (at Hameenlinna)
Jan. 2, TBA Semifinals/Placement (at Helsinki/Hameenlinna)
Jan. 3, TBA Relegation/Placement/Medal (at Helsinki/Hameenlinna)
