COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey has invited UND freshmen Mitchell Miller and Jake Sanderson among the 39 players to its 2021 U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp that will be held from Oct. 8-13 in Plymouth, Michigan, at USA Hockey Arena. The camp is part of the evaluation process in selecting the U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 25, 2020, through Jan. 5, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta. The camp will be closed to the public, including fans, scouts and media.

"We're excited to bring together our top players as we prepare for the upcoming World Junior Championship," said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the U.S. National Junior Team and assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey. "We've worked with our medical professionals to put protocols in place to help in successfully running our camp and I know our players are excited about the chance to overcome all of the obstacles and challenge for a gold medal."

Both players are poised to begin their collegiate careers, already with many accolades and more to come. Both are slated to be selected in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft next week, along with fellow freshman Tyler Kleven, who played with Sanderson last season with the US National Team Development Program Under 18s.

Miller was named to the All-USHL First Team after logging 33 points on eight goals and 25 assists in 44 games last season for the Tri-City Storm. The Sylvania, Ohio product spent the  previous season with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders, tallying 16 points (4g-12a) in 48 games. He was originally drafted 17th overall in the 2017 USHL Futures Draft by Cedar Rapids. He's ranked 49th among North American skaters (per NHL's Central Scouting) in the upcoming draft pool.

Sanderson, a Whitefish, Mont., native, will look to become UND's 21st first-round draftee and eighth since 2010 next Tuesday. He is ranked fourth among North American skaters by the final NHL Central Scouting rankings. He played for the U.S. Under 18 National Development Team Program last season, skating in 47 games with the U18 team and finishing with 29 points (7g-22a), most among all blueliners. Sanderson was named MVP of 2020 Biosteel All-American Game, finishing the game with two assists. A season prior, he played in 44 games with the U17 team, scoring four goals and adding 20 assists for 24 points.

Last season, current UND sophomore Shane Pinto led Team USA at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Tournament with four goals and seven points, finishing 17th in the WJC for points (4-3--7).