June 12, 2006- Former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Al Stalock and Justin Abdelkader will vie for spots on the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2006 National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York, August 5-14. Stalock and Abdelkader are among 45 players bidding to make the U.S. Under-20 squad that will compete in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship from December 26, 2006 through January 5, 2007 in Mora and Leksand, Sweden.

Stalock, 18, will begin his college career at Minnesota-Duluth in the fall. Last season he was named the United States Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Year and earned First Team All-USHL honors after leading the league in wins (28), save percentage (.931) and saves (1511). The South St. Paul, Minnesota, native ranked second in minutes played (2641:21), was tied for third in shutouts (4) and finished sixth in goals against average (2.54).

In 2004-05, his first campaign in Cedar Rapids, Stalock went 19-9-3 with a 2.73 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and one shutout. He was named playoff Most Valuable Player after turning in a 7-2-0 record, a 1.44 goals against average, a .950 save percentage and one shutout while backstopping the Riders to the first USHL Clark Cup title in club history.

Abdelkader, now at Michigan State, scored ten goals and totaled 22 points in 44 games as a Spartan freshman last season. The 19-year old Muskegon, Michigan, native also skated in the U.S. junior evaluation camp last summer.

Abdelkader was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the 2005 National Hockey League draft with the forty-second overall pick. Abdelkader was drafted earlier than any other RoughRider in team history.

In 2004-05, his only season in Cedar Rapids, Abdelkader scored 27 goals and totaled 52 points while helping the Riders to the Clark Cup.

Abdelkader joined the RoughRiders after being named Michigan’s Mr. Hockey while playing for Muskegon Mona Shores High School in 2003-04.

The Junior Evaluation Camp will feature practices and eight international scrimmages with American split squads facing off against the Swedish and Finnish Junior National Teams.

Should they earn spots on the U.S. squad, Stalock and Abdelkader would join Bobby Goepfert as the only RoughRider products 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.

The U.S. finished fourth in each of the last two World Junior Championships after winning the tournament for the first time in 2004.

The two-time defending East Division Champion RoughRiders will open their eighth season in Cedar Rapids this fall. 2006-07 season tickets are currently available through the RoughRiders’ business office (247-0340). Fans who pay for season tickets in full before August 15 will receive a significant discount in addition to a host of other benefits available exclusively to season ticket holders.