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2006 USJDP European Selects Tour Recap
EZO International Cup
Romanshorn, Switzerland
After starting the tour with a hard-fought win vs. Wettingen-Baden barely 24 hours after arriving in Switzerland, the USJDP Red Selects (birth years 90-93) headed to Romanshorn for the 2007 EZO International U16 Tournament, vowing to improve upon its third place finish from the year before. On Saturday, the Red team started out with a strong win against the EHC Uzwil Selects, only to face the resigning Swiss National Champions, HC Thurgau, only 2 hours later. After starting strong against Thurgau, the Selects slowed down a little later in the game and ended up losing late. The following day, early Sunday am, the Selects faced the MN Mission, the eventual tournament champions, in what was easily the game of the tournament. Taking a lead into the final period, the Selects gave up two goals by the hard charging Mission to loser 2-1. That game spring-boarded the Mission to an easy 6-1 victory over the club from Thurgau.
While the Red Selects where in Romanshorn, the Black Selects (birth years 87-89) started there tour with two strong wins against the Wettingen-Dielsdorf & Aarau junior teams. In between, the Black Selects traveled up to the beautiful ski resort town of Engelberg to watch two professional games: Kloten Flyers vs. the Italian National Team & EHC Engelberg vs. a Russian Premier League Team.
After all the games, both teams took a day off to visit the Jungfraujoch. Known as the “Top of Europe”, the Jungfraujoch in the world’s highest railway stop an weather station, and most often the highlight of the trip. And in 2006, even though the weather wasn’t perfect, it was still a great trip and provided the players a much needed day of rest between long 3, 20-minute stop time period games.
After their one day off, the teams were back in action the following day with two strong victories against the HC Seewen novizen and junior teams, followed by another strong win by the Black Selects against EHC Kuessnacht Liga 2 (Swiss Professional League, second division) professional team.
All this success lead up to the big tour finale: a showdown with perennial Swiss power, and reigning Junior League Champions, EV Zug. On Thursday night, the second to last day of the tour, the Red Selects came out strong, played the team from Zug hard, before fading later after running out of gas after a long 10 days of traveling, sightseeing and hockey.
Although both teams ended up losing their finales against the powerhouse EV Zug teams, all the players said they wouldn’t have it any other way. As Tyler Wible of Phoenix, AZ said after the Red Selects game, “he would rather lose a good game against the Zug, than beat up on lesser talented team and win going away. It is a long way to go to not have competitive games, I ALWAYS want to play the best.”
Again in 2006, the USJDP Selects Tour was another huge success both culturally, and athletically, competing against the best Switzerland had to offer. This marks the 6th straight year that the USJDP Selects have played the reigning Swiss National Champions (at both age groups) and will continue to do so in the future. We firmly believe this is the best way to provide our players with the competition and development necessary to make each of our tours successful.
The 2006 Selects teams were comprised of players representing AA and AAA programs from across the US and Canada, including Colorado, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Texas, Maryland, Ohio, Missouri, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. In addition, students from some of the most renowned prep schools in North America, including Trinity Pawling Prep, Notre Dame Hounds, St. Georges Prep, Kent School Prep, and St. Paul Academy played alongside US born athletes playing Junior hockey in France and Switzerland.
