COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Freshman James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) of the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team has been named to the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Czech Republic.

vanRiemsdyk, who currently ranks second in the nation in rookie scoring (1.25 ppg), was a two-year member of the United States National Program. Last year, he led the US Under-18 team in scoring and led the squad to a gold medal at the U-18 Championships in 2005-06. vanRiemsdyk was selected as the second overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft.

The IIHF World Junior Championship runs from Dec. 26 – Jan. 5. The team will play two pre-tournament games, including one at Western Michigan on Dec. 18. The complete schedule is below.

KEY DATES
2008 U.S. National Junior Team

Date                Event/Opponent                Venue                    Time (Local/EST)
Dec. 4        U.S. National Junior Team Announced on Versus Broadcast
                 Detroit vs. Montreal,                     7:30 p.m. ET Faceoff
Forwards 1st Intermission/Goaltenders & Defensemen 2nd Intermission
Dec. 5                Media Teleconference                    11:00 a.m. ET
Dec. 16              U.S. National Junior Team Gathers in Ann Arbor, Mich.
              Training at National Team Development Program – Ann Arbor Ice Cube
Dec. 18    Western Michigan        Lawson Ice Arena    7:30 p.m. ET
                University (Exh.)           
Dec. 19            U.S. National Junior Team Departs for Czech Republic
Dec. 22    Czech Republic (Exh.)    Ceska Trebova    6:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.
 
2008 IIHF World Junior Championship Schedule
Dec. 26-Jan. 5 • Liberec & Pardubice, Czech Republic

DATE            OPPONENT                VENUE                 TIME (Local/EST)
Dec. 26    Kazakhstan        Tipsport Arena            4:00 p.m./10:00 a.m.
Dec. 28    Switzerland        Tipsport Arena            6:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.
Dec. 29    Russia            Tipsport Arena            8:00 p.m./2:00 p.m.
Dec. 31    Finland        Tipsport Arena            6:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.
Jan. 2        Quarterfinals        CEZ Arena        TBD
Jan. 4        Semifinals        CEZ Arena        TBD
Jan. 5        Gold/Bronze        CEZ Arena        TBD
            Medal Games

Venue Locations: Lawson Ice Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Ceska Trebova (Ceska Trebova, Czech Republic), Tipsport Arena (Liberec, Czech Republic); CEZ Arena (Pardubice, Czech Republic).