[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]A year ago, Team USA won its first ever Junior World Championship crown, and, with this year’s squad just announced, two Badgers will be making a return trip to defend that title. Jeff Likens, a defenseman, and Jake Dowell, a center, each who competed for head coach Mike Eaves at the 2004 World Championships, have been named to the squad that will compete at the 2005 World Championships in Grand Forks, ND in late December.

While the two sophomores will miss Wisconsin’s Badger Hockey Showdown, head coach Mike Eaves knows that the experience is too good to pass up.

“When you play against the top players in the world and the top teams, it elevates your game on all levels,” Eaves said. “You see and experience different strategies and you bring all these things back within you and you can share that with your teammates.”

Playing at the Junior World Championships will help Likens and Dowell improve their games and that will only help out the players around them.

“You’re better when you have experiences like that,” Eaves said. “Good players make the players around them better, so if they come back as better players that’ll make everyone better.”

Not only will they be better players, but as Likens pointed out about last year’s Championship experience, the biggest thing learned is how to win.

“Knowing how to win a championship, that’s the biggest thing,” Likens said when asked what the most important thing he learned during last season’s Junior World Championships was. “Nobody on this team has really won a major championship, but now Jake, me and Ryan [Suter] can bring that back.”

One of the reasons that playing with the national team will help Likens and Dowell improve is because the level of play is so different from the college game. According to Eaves, it’s a step up in competition from the college level.

“World class, that’s the only way to describe [the talent level at the World Championships],” Eaves said. “It’s the best 20-year olds in the world, these kids are future NHLers.”

Dowell’s assessment of the competition dealt more with the style differences that would be on display, pointing out how the different teams had success with different styles of hockey.

“It’s a completely different level and style and different types of teams — the European teams are all finesse and the Canadian and American teams are real physical,” Dowell said of the differences in playing style at the World Championships.

Likens agreed that the style was different, but wasn’t willing to go so far as to say that the style was better.

“It’s a lot different type of game,” Likens said. “It’s a different style but not necessarily a better style. I don’t think that it’s any more difficult than playing a North Dakota or Minnesota.”

Back in August Dowell and Likens were invited to a national team tryout in which 44 players were invited to compete. The players were split into two squads that played against one another, as well as a handful of international opponents brought in to give the players a chance to experience the European’s open style of play. After the tryouts, the coaches and staff for USA Hockey continue scouting the players wherever they are playing during the season to determine who will make the final roster.

Unlike many national teams that become a showcase of all-stars, Team USA was designed to be a team, incorporating the many needs and roles present on any championship team.

While Dowell is not the scoring machine that some of his teammates on the Badgers’ roster are, his physical presence and hard work likely earned him a spot on Team USA’s roster.

“[The Team USA coaches] were looking for different types of players to fill different types of roles,” Dowell said. “I know there are guys on the team just to score goals and I see myself as a guy who made the team to kill penalties and bring a physical presence and energy to the team.”

Eaves agreed with Dowell’s assessment of his role on the international team, pointing out Dowell’s ability on the penalty kill and his high work rate as reasons Dowell made not only last year’s squad, but this year’s team as well.

“You talk about heart, [Dowell’s] got that in spades,” Eaves added. “He might not be the most skilled guy, the fastest guy, but he makes up for it with his heart.”

Likens, on the other hand, was brought into the squad for his skill in the defensive zone, the offense he could provide from the blueline, as well as his leadership and his veteran status as a returning player.

“I’m solid defensively,” Likens said. “I was on the team last year so I bring some veteran leadership.”

Eaves agreed that Likens brought a lot of skill to the ice, but concluded that the thing that set him apart from the other defensemen was his heart.

“Jeff’s whole ability starts with his character and his heart,” Eaves said. “Jeff makes mistakes but he makes up for it with his hustle.”

Both Likens and Dowell agreed that having played with the team a year ago will definitely help them this time around.

“We all know what it takes to win,” Likens said of he and the other eight players that will be making their second appearance for Team USA at the Junior World Championship. “The guys who’ve been on the team know it’s a lot of work but they also know what to do in those situations to get it done.”

Dowell just hoped that his experience would be rewarded with some additional playing time this year.

“I’m just excited to be on the team, but I expect to get a little more playing time this year being it’s my second year,” Dowell said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the ice and help the team.”