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Times & Transcript Staff

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Goaltender Robert Steeves of Moncton was among 22 players selected yesterday to the Atlantic under-17 boys team that will play at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Dec. 29-Jan. 4 in Timmins, Ont.

Steeves is playing with the Dieppe Commandos in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League this season. Two members of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, forwards Bryce Milson of Miramichi and Patrick Jones of Lameque, were also named to the Atlantic team. So was defenceman James Melindy of Goulds, N.L, a Moncton Wildcats prospect.

Six other players from New Brunswick made the team, including defencemen Tyrone Sock of Elsipogtog, Justin Hache of Petit-Rocher and Brayden Wood of Oromocto and forwards Bruce Hornbrook of Bathurst and Ryan Tesink and Aiden Kelly, both of Saint John.

The Atlantic team features nine players from New Brunswick, six from Nova Scotia, four from P.E.I. and three from Newfoundland and Labrador.

The head coach is Jim Midgley of Rothesay and his assistants are Jonathan Murphy of Charlottetown and Eric Bissonnette of Fredericton. Moncton's David Alexander is the goaltending coach.

Team Atlantic plays an exhibition game Dec. 28 against Finland prior to playing its first tournament game against the United States Dec. 29. Team Atlantic will also play Pacific, Czech Republic and Russia in the round robin portion of the event.

"This event always requires everyone to be at their best and we are excited to take these 22 guys to that stage," said Midgley. "We will count on all 22 players pulling in the right direction in order for the team to achieve success."