Huttwil, SWITZERLAND- New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs head coach Sean Tremblay can add an international championship to his lengthy list of accomplishments.
Tremblay a three-time EJHL Coach of the Year, was chosen to lead the USA National Under-17 Select Team in the 2010 Five Nations Tournament. The team was selected from the top performers at the USA Hockey Select 16 Festival which wrapped up on July 1.
Tremblay’s troops started strong with an exhibition win over Switzerland that saw the team lead 4-1 entering the final frame. Team USA scored twice more early in the period. Switzerland mounted a rally as time wound down, but USA held on for a 6-3 victory.
In the first official game, a 5-3 win over Czech Republic, USA trailed 1-0 after the first period but rattled off three goals in the second period and two more in the third.
USA bowed to Slovakia 3-2 in the second contest after giving up the game-winner late in the third period.
The next day, USA faced Switzerland in a rematch of the exhibition contest and led 4-0 before the hosts could find the back of the net. That contest ended 5-3 in favor of USA and put the team in position for a first-place finish.
Knowing a regulation win would guarantee the title, Team USA came out firing on all cylinders against Germany. After building a 4-1 lead in the first period, USA scored five goals in the second en route to a 14-2 victory.
“The team really came together this week and had a great deal of success as a result. As a staff, we could not be more proud of them,” said Tremblay after the Germany game.
The 2010 tournament was Team USA’s first title in the Five Nations Tournament since 2005. Tremblay served as an assistant coach in 2006 for the Under-17 Select Team when it won the gold medal in the Three Nations Cup in Rochester, NY.
Congratulations to Sean Tremblay and the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs!
More info @ USA Hockey
-Mike Klein, 24 August 2010