Birkholz Member of USA Hockey
2007 U.S. Under-17 Select Team
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 The Blake School is proud to recognize that Josh Birkholz '09 was a member of USA Hockey's 2007 U.S. Under-17 Select Team that took the silver medal in a five nation tournament.
The squad took part in the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament from August 20-24 in Strakonice, Tabor and Pribram, Czech Republic, just outside of Prague. The 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament hosted teams from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States. The 21 players on the U.S. roster represented 11 different states, seven of which were Minnesotans. Team members were chosen from the 2007 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, which was held June 23-29 at the ESL Sports Centre in Rochester, N.Y., and featured many of America's best hockey players born in 1991.
Birkholz was among the Select 16 camp leaders in goals scored. Prior to being named to the U.S. Under-17 Select Team Josh competed in USA Hockey district, state and national level player development camps. Josh is a two-time Blake hockey letterman, and two-time participant in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament with his Blake teammates. Josh will bring his smooth-skating, tenacious, and skilled playing style that he has represented Blake with so well to his Team USA teammates and coaches in August.
Jon Cooper (St. Louis, Mo.) served as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team, with Kyle Wallack (Wallingford, Conn.) as the assistant coach. Cooper is set to begin his fifth season as the head coach of the North American Hockey League's St. Louis Bandits. Last year, he led the team to a 43-14-5 record and the 2006-07 NAHL Championship. He was named the 2004-05 NAHL Coach of the Year and has coached hockey at numerous levels, including Junior A, Junior B and Midget. Cooper also served as an assistant coach for the USA Hockey InLine National Team that won the gold medal at the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation Inline Hockey World Championship.
Wallack recently completed his first season as an assistant coach with the Yale University men's ice hockey team. Prior to coaching at Yale, he worked on the College of the Holy Cross coaching staff as recruiting coordinator for two seasons. Further information on this team, and updates on the team play in August, can be found at www.usahockey.org.
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