December 23, 2009

D'Amigo to Represent USA

TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Jerry D’Amigo has been selected to represent the United States of America as part of the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship December 26 to January 5 in Saskatoon and Regina, Sask.

A freshman forward from Binghamton, N.Y., D’Amigo is the first RPI player to represent the United States in the World Junior Championships since Marc Cavosie in 2001. Mathias Lange, who represented Germany in 2004, is the most recent Rensselaer player to participate in the prestigious tournament.

D’Amigo, one of 22 players selected to the team, is currently third on the Engineers in scoring with five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 18 games. He has a pair of power goals and three game-winning goals. D’Amigo, who is 5-11, 200 pounds, is second in ECAC Hockey and fifth nationally in game-winning goals. He is second among rookies in the league – and and 17th nationally – with an average of 0.78 points per game.

Last season, D’Amigo was second on the U.S. Under-18 Team in scoring with 23 goals and a team-best 33 assists for 56 points in 53 games. He had six power play goals and five game-winners. He was also assessed 61 penalty minutes. He recorded a team-high 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) during the World Championships in which the club earned the gold medal. He was named to the All-Tournament Team despite suffering an injury during the event.

A 2009 draft choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, D’Amigo will be joined by six teammates from the gold medal winning 2009 Under-18 team. Due to his commitment with the U.S. team, he will miss RPI’s next two games, both of which are part of the 45th Annual Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

The Engineers, who are 9-9-1 overall and 3-4-0 in ECAC Hockey, face the University of Michigan on December 29 at 7:36pm. RPI plays either #13 Michigan State or Michigan Tech the next day at either 4:06pm or 7:36pm. Both games will be aired live on WRPI, 91.5 FM, and www.wrpi.org.