Team USA selects Phantoms defender

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Phantoms defenseman Scott Mayfield has been selected to play for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge from Nov. 8-14.

Mayfield will join 21 other USHL players as Team USA heads to Penticton, British Columbia. It’s his second invitation to the tournament; he also participated in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Slovakia in 2009.

“It is an honor to wear the USA jersey again,” Mayfield said. “The last time I got to play for this team, we did not get the result that we wanted.”

Team USA lost to Sweden in the bronze medal game.

The Junior A Challenge will be made up of six teams. Team USA will compete in Group A against Canada East and Sweden, while Group B will have Team Canada West, Russia and Switzerland.

The USA team first participated in the tournament in 2007, finishing third, before wining the gold medal in 2009 and 2009, defeating Canada West both years.

“There is added pressure going into the tournament as the defending champion,” Mayfield said. “There is even more pressure when you have won the gold two years in a row.

“We want to go there and produce. We want to continue the winning tradition we have built over the past two tournaments.”

The USA roster is made up players from the USHL.

“This just shows that the USHL is the best junior league in the United States,” said Mayfield. “This is a great opportunity to show everyone that the players from this league, and this country, can compete on the international level against any country.”

The USA team will play an exhibition game on Nov. 6 against Canada West, before opening tournament play two days later against Canada East.