WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioScott Mayfield selected to play for Team USA

Scott Mayfield selected to play for Team USA

YOUGSTOWN, Ohio – Phantoms defenseman and University of Denver commit Scott Mayfield has been selected to play for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge. Mayfield will play alongside 21 other USHL players as Team USA heads to Penticton, B.C., Canada to participate in the Junior A Challenge from November 8-14.

This selection will be Mayfield's second appearance for Team USA. His first go-round with the national team was during the 2009 summer when he participated in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Slovakia.

"It is an honor to wear the USA jersey again," said Mayfield. "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 World Junior A Challenge will feature two groups of three teams. Group A will feature Team USA, Team Canada East and Team Sweden. Group B features Team Canada West, Team Russia and Team Switzerland. Team USA joined the tournament in 2007 where they finished third. In 2008 and 2009 Team USA won the gold medal, both times defeating Team Canada West. Mayfield and Team USA will feel the pressure as they enter the tournament as the two-time defending champion.

"There is added pressure going into the tournament as the defending champion," said Mayfield. "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 Team USA roster is made up of 22 players, all coming from current USHL rosters.

"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."

Team USA will play an exhibition game on November 6 against Team Canada West and they open play for the tournament on November 8 against Team Canada East.