USA Hockey Release

TROY, N.Y. - USA Hockey announced the 22-player roster and coaching staff for its 2011 U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will compete in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament from August 8-13 in Breclav, Czech Republic & Piestany, Slovakia and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey coach Seth Appert has been named the head coach.

This is the third time Appert has coached in the event, including as the head coach in 2008. Joining him on staff is Rensselaer Hockey Operations Coordinator Kevin Anderson, who will serve as the video coordinator for Team USA.

Appert, who was an assistant in the 2007 tournament, is entering his sixth season with the Engineers. In his first five years, the Cottage Grove, Minn., native has a career record of 69-98-23, while playing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation since taking over in April of 2006.

The 2010-11 Engineers posted a 20-13-5 record, a national ranking for most of the season and the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1995. The team was 13-6-1 overall at the Houston Field House on its way to recording back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in nearly 10 years (2000-01 & 2001-02). Rensselaer ranked in the top-15 in the country in scoring defense (7th – 2.37 goals against average), penalty kill (12th – 84.3%) and winning percentage (15th – .592).

Individually, RPI saw numerous student-athletes earn prestigious awards, including senior forward Chase Polacek, who was the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and a National All-America First Team honoree – all for the second straight season. Sophomore defenseman Nick Bailen earned National All-America Second Team recognition and junior goaltender Allen York was a finalist for the league's Ken Dryden Award as the top netminder for the second straight year.

The 2009-10 campaign saw Rensselaer win the most games in Appert's tenure to that point (18-17-4) with numerous players being recognized. In addition to Polacek's and York's honors, Jerry D'Amigo was selected as the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year and an All-Rookie Team honoree, along with classmate Brandon Pirri. D'Amigo and Pirri, both forwards, signed National Hockey League (NHL) contracts following their freshman years.

D'Amigo and Pirri helped make up a nationally-ranked recruiting class for Appert and his staff – the third straight distinction for the Engineers. Other highlights during Appert's first three seasons include leading RPI to the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals in 2009, back-to-back titles in the Governor's Cup Tournament — Rensselaer's first championships of any kind since 1998 — and seeing eight student-athletes drafted by NHL teams.

While there have been numerous All-ECAC Hockey and All-League Rookie honorees, there has also been a Student-Athlete of the Year Award finalist (Andrew Lord), a Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist (Kirk MacDonald) and a nominee for the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award (John Kennedy).

In addition to his positions at RPI and with USA Hockey, Appert was also a coach in the 2008 NCAA Pontiac Skills Challenge and recently completed a three-year term as president of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA), which has almost 1,400 members.

Prior to joining Rensselaer, Appert spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Denver, where he was responsible for recruiting, on-ice coaching, video breakdown, and game analysis work. He also played a big role in the development of Denver's goaltenders.

A four-year letterwinner as a goaltender at Ferris State from 1992-96, Appert and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Addison and Campbell.

Anderson became the Hockey Operations Coordinator for both the Rensselaer men's and women's ice hockey programs in 2008.

Among his responsibilities are video coordination, including breaking down game tapes, preparation and pre-scouting for upcoming opponents, team travel coordination and community relations. He also serves as special events coordinator, including organizing alumni events.

Anderson spent 2003-06 as the hockey operations and video coordinator at Notre Dame, where he developed video for the coaches to use as teaching tools for both the team as a whole as well as individual skill sessions. He also prepared pre-scouting materials on upcoming opponents, created highlight media, managed logistics for the team and coaches and was assistant youth hockey camp director.

Following his experience at Notre Dame, Anderson became a full-time graduate student at Hamline, where he was also an assistant coach of the men's hockey team. Pre-scouting and developing a video archive were among his key responsibilities.

As an undergraduate at St. Cloud State, Anderson worked with the men's hockey program for two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach. In his senior year, he took over the duties as the team's video coordinator. In that role, he helped create, design, manage and implement a video editing system that allowed the staff and players to focus on the technical and tactical aspects of the game.

Anderson also has over a decade of experience with the Minnesota Hockey Camps as an on-ice and off-ice clinician. He was also the head boys' junior varsity hockey coach at Prior Lake High School in Minnesota for a season.