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The International Game: Two USPHL Players To Represent Japan In WJC Division 1B Tournament

By Joshua Boyd/USPHL.com, 12/09/21, 4:30PM EST

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The United States Premier Hockey League congratulates its two players who were named to Japan’s National Under-20 Hockey Team for the upcoming World Junior Under-20 Championships Division 1B Tournament to be held Dec. 12-18, 2021, in Tallinn, Estonia. 

Daisuke Egusa is a member of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs’ NCDC team, and Teppei Ueno is a member of the Jersey Hitmen’s USPHL Premier squad. 

Since the realignment of World Junior Championship divisions prior to the 2011-12 season tournaments, Japan has been part of the Division 1B five times. They’ve also had four years at Division 2A, earning championships and promotion to 1B in 2012-13, 2017-18 and 2019-20. All but the very top level of the 2020-21 IIHF World Junior tournaments were cancelled due to COVID-19. 

Japan’s team for this year’s tournament is on the young side, averaging just 17 years and 317 days old. 

 

Daisuke Egusa, D, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (NCDC)

Egusa (‘02/Tokyo, Japan) is going to make his second appearance in terms of representing his country in hockey. He was part of Japan’s World Under-18 Division 1B Championship team in 2018-19. 

He has spent the better part of his career already in North America, first playing Midget hockey in Canada before playing his first U.S. junior season in 2019-20. 

Last season, Egusa played in six games for the Twin City Thunder NCDC squad. He returned to the league but with a new squad, the Monarchs, for this 2021-22 season. He has scored a goal and six assists for seven points, and he has a +18 rating - which is 13 better than any of his teammates.  

Teppei Ueno, F, Jersey Hitmen (USPHL Premier) 

Ueno (‘02/Nippon, Japan) is a three-time member of Team Japan. Ueno was a member, along with Daisuke Egusa, of the 2018-19 Under-18 Championship team, and then he went on to help his home country win the 2019-20 U20 Division 2A Championship. Ueno has nine points in 10 career international games. 

Ueno is the leading scorer for the Hitmen with eight goals and 19 points in 22 contests for the season. He is in his second junior season, splitting last year between the Tier II and Tier III levels elsewhere before joining the Hitmen. Like Egusa, Ueno also played 18U hockey in Canada prior to starting his junior career. 

 

The USPHL wishes both Teppei Ueno and Daisuke Egusa the very best of luck in the World Junior Championships Division 1B Tournament!