The United States U-18 National Team earned a weekend split with Division I-A newcomer Penn State, winning 3-0 Saturday night at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion. The Americans were backstopped by Boston College commit Thatcher Demko, who stopped all 23 shots faced to earn the shutout.
The San Diego native has had plenty of success this season going up against the nation's best college clubs. Earlier this year, Demko backstopped the Americans to 2-2 ties with #1t New Hampshire (35 stops) and #4 Minnesota (39 stops), two of the top-ranked clubs in college hockey.
In 22 games for the USNTDP team this season, Demko has an 13-4-3 record with a 2.31 GAA and .902 SV% to go with three shutouts.
Demko is a late '95 birth year and only a junior in high school. Back in the fall, the plan was to return to the USHL's Omaha Lancers for one more season before joining the Eagles in 2014-15. Though with Parker Milner graduating, Demko could accelerate a year and join BC as part of a sick nasty 2013-14 recruiting class. York and the Eagles also have a commitment from USHL's Cedar Rapids Chris Birdsall, one of the nation's top '96 goaltenders, who is expected to join BC in 2015-16.
That makes Boston College's future goaltender rotation look something like this:
2013-14: Jr. Brian Billett / Jr. Brad Barone / Fr. Thatcher Demko
2014-15: Sr. Brian Billett / Sr. Brad Barone / So. Thatcher Demko
2015-16: Jr. Thatcher Demko / Fr. Chris Birdsall
2016-17: Sr. Thatcher Demko / So. Chris Birdsall
2017-18: Jr. Chris Birdsall
Future is certainly bright for Boston College hockey between the pipes.