ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Making the U.S. National Junior Team was a big hurdle for University of Michigan ice hockey sophomore Joe Cecconi. He secured the seventh and final roster spot for a defenseman on Christmas Eve, two days prior to the start of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal.
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Cecconi, a fifth-round draft pick by the NHL's Dallas Stars in 2015, proceeded to make a big impression and Coach Bob Motzko's decision to take him look good.