Ferris State Hockey Alum Seth Appert Tabbed Head Coach For US Under 18 National Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Ferris State University men's ice hockey alum Seth Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn./NTDP), who is just finishing his first season as a head coach at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, has been tabbed to serve as head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team that will compete in the upcoming 2018 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championships.

The announcement was made by USA Hockey.

The tournament runs from April 19 to 29 in Chelyabinsk & Magnitogorsk, Russia. Team USA opens play in the event on Thursday, April 19, against Canada at the Metallurg Ice Rink in Magnitogorsk.

Appert served as an assistant coach for Team USA in last year's event where the U.S. captured its tournament-record 10th gold medal. He also was as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men's National Team that competed at the 2017 IIHF Men's World Championship in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France last year.

The Cottage, Grove, Minn., native was previously the head coach of both the 2008 and 2011 U.S. Under-18 Select Teams that played in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia. He was also an assistant coach for the 2007 U.S. Under-18 Select Team at the same event.

Appert spent 18 years in college hockey prior to arriving at the NTDP, including 11 years as head coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2006-17), where in 2011 he led the Engineers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years, and seven seasons at the University of Denver where he helped the Pioneers to two national championships.

Appert was a four-year letterwinner (1992-96) at Ferris State as a goaltender. He compiled a 5-11-2 mark in net with a 4.65 goals-against average and an .850 saves percentage (482 total saves) in 28 career appearances. Following his playing career, Appert served as a student assistant coach at FSU on head coach Bob Daniels' staff for the 1996-97 season.

Prior to starting his collegiate playing career at Ferris State, Appert was an all-league and honorable all-state selection at Park High School in Cottage Grove, Minn. As a senior, he was selected Park High's Most Valuable Player as a result of recording a 1.85 goals-against average and a .927 saves percentage. Appert helped lead his team to a 17-6-2 overall record and a league championship title in 1991-92.