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Abdelkader Bidding for Spot on U.S. World Junior Team
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Abdelkader Bidding for Spot on U.S. World Junior Team
<p>August 5, 2005- Former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward Justin Abdelkader will vie for a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team beginning tomorrow at the 2005 National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York. Abdelkader is among 43 players bidding to make the U.S. Under-20 squad that will compete in the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship from December 26, 2005 through January 5, 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia.</p>
<p>Abdelkader will hit the ice in Lake Placid just a week after being selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the National Hockey League draft. The Wings chose Abdelkader, a native of Muskegon, Michigan, with the forty-second overall pick. Abdelkader, who will begin his college career at Michigan State in the fall, was drafted earlier than any RoughRider in team history. </p>
<p>Last year, in his only season in Cedar Rapids, Abdelkader scored a team record-tying 27 goals and totaled 52 points as the RoughRiders won the United States Hockey League's Clark Cup title for the first time. Abdelkader, 18, also helped the Riders to a share of the Anderson Cup regular season title and the USHL's East Division championship.</p>
<p>Abdelkader joined the RoughRiders after being named Michigan's Mr. Hockey while playing for Muskegon Mona Shores High School in 2003-04.</p>
<p>The Junior Evaluation Camp runs through next Saturday. Camp invitees will be split into USA Blue and USA White teams for a series of international scrimmages against the Swedish and Finnish Junior National Teams.</p>
<p>Should he earn a spot on the U.S. squad, Abdelkader would join Bobby Goepfert as the second RoughRider product to play for Team U.S.A. at the World Junior Championship. Goepfert's spectacular goaltending propelled the U.S. to a strong fourth place finish at the 2003 WJC in Nova Scotia.</p>
<p>The U.S. finished fourth in the 2005 World Junior Championship after winning the tournament for the first time in 2004.</p>
<p>The RoughRiders will open their 2005-06 season on September 24 when they meet the Tri-City Storm in Kearney, Nebraska. The Riders will open on home ice on Saturday, October 8 when they play host to the Green Bay Gamblers at 7:05PM.</p>
<p>2005-06 RoughRiders season tickets are currently available through the Riders' business office (247-0340). Fans who pay for season tickets in full before August 31 will receive a discount in addition to a host of other benefits available exclusively to season ticket holders. </p> |
Posted on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 (Archive on Tuesday, August 09, 2005)
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