Brian Dumoulin is a step closer to representing the United States in one of the world’s most prestigious amateur hockey tournaments.

Dumoulin, a sophomore defenseman at Boston College and a Biddeford High School graduate, is one of 29 players named to the U.S. National Junior team’s preliminary roster announced Tuesday by USA Hockey.

Dumoulin will take part in the team’s pre-tournament training camp Dec. 17 in Albany, N.Y., the final step in the process that will help USA Hockey determine the team that will represent the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2011, in Buffalo, N.Y.

“I’m going to stay focused and not try to do too many things,” said Dumoulin, who has 10 points and is a plus 10 in 16 games this season. “I’m going to keep doing what I’m comfortable doing, and I know I was picked for a reason because the coaches liked what I’ve done all season.”

USA Hockey will release its final roster Dec. 22, the day before the national team’s exhibition game against Norway in Jamestown, N.Y.

“It’s the best of the best,” said Jim Johansson, the U-20 team’s general manager, during Tuesday’s announcement in Buffalo. “It was tough to get down to 29.”

According to USA Hockey, three players from Maine have played for the U.S. Junior team: Eric Weinrich of Gardiner in 1985 and 1986, Kevin Kellett of Lewiston in 1998 and Greg Moore of Lisbon in 2003 and 2004.

Dumoulin is one of four Boston College players and one of nine Hockey East players on the preliminary roster. Joining Dumoulin are teammates Chris Kreider, Philip Samuelsson and Patrick Wey; Boston University’s Adam Clendening, Charlie Coyle and Matt Nieto; Northeastern’s Jamie Oleksiak and Vermont’s Connor Brickley.

“There’s eight of us taking a bus to Albany from Boston and it’s awesome to see, just from the Boston area, a third of the team coming from that area,” said Dumoulin, who learned over the weekend he had been named to the preliminary roster.

“That’s good to see and it shows that U.S. hockey and college hockey are getting stronger, seeing so many college hockey players (on the roster).”

One of 42 players at the start of the national Junior evaluation camp in August at Lake Placid, N.Y., Dumoulin is now one of 10 defensemen competing for seven spots on the U.S. U-20 team.

“A lot was based on the August camp and how we’ve been playing over the year,” Dumoulin said. “The camp in (New York) is another way to see how well we play as a team, how we work together and who’s playing well. That’s why the roster isn’t final yet.

“(The coaching staff) wants us to compete and earn the sports, and they want to have another view of the players.”

Keith Allain, the coach of this year’s national U-20 team, explained that at 6-foot-4, 210-pound Dumoulin fits the prototype of the kind of defensemen the national team wanted: players with size who can move the puck well but who also are mobile.

Of the 10 defensemen on the preliminary roster, six are listed as at least 6-2.

“We have to build our team on who our best players are and what our best strengths are,” said Allain, the head coach at Yale. “This defensive corps gives us a tremendous amount of versatility.”

 

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at: rlenzi@pressherald.com