BIDDEFORD — Brian Dumoulin’s selection, Wednesday to the the final 22-man U.S. squad that will compete in the upcoming IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships, is more than a typical “local boy makes good” story.

It’s much more significant than that.

It means that the former Biddeford High standout will stand squarely in the spotlight on one of the hockey world’s biggest stages, as the WJC gets underway in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sunday.

Team USA, which captured the Gold Medal last year in Saskatoon, Sask., will get its title defense underway on Dec. 28 with a round-robin game against Finland.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Dumoulin’s mother Deb, who said she had to work off some nervous energy in the gym while waiting for the good word. “It’s like a dream come true.”

Short of the Olympics and the Stanley Cup playoffs, the WJC is the most prestigious tournament the sport has to offer.

Biddeford hockey coach Rich Reissfelder, who was an assistant coach at the school when Dumoulin played there, attempted to put a sharpened point on Dumoulin’s selection as one of Team USA’s seven defensemen.

“We’re talking seven kids in the country, in that age group,” Reissfelder said, “and a kid from Biddeford, Maine is one of them. It’s unbelievable.”

The team roster was announced Wednesday by USA Hockey, after the final cut of seven players was made.

Dumoulin, along with his Boston College roommate Patrick Wey, were among the survivors of a process that began in August, when 44 hopefuls were invited to a preliminary camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Dumoulin, a sophomore at BC, had all the qualities that USA Hockey General Manager Jim Johansson and Team USA head coach Keith Allain were looking for.

“He’s a guy we think can play in all situations for us,” said Allain, the coach at Yale whose club was knocked out of last year’s NCAA tourney by Dumoulin and his BC mates. “In a short tournament like this, it’s hard to get by with guys who are specialists. He’s a guy that played at Boston College, he’s won a national championship, he’s got good size, good mobility and he’s a good all-around defenseman who can contribute.”

 Championships have become a way of life for the 6-foot-4, 225 pound blueliner.

He and his BC teammates captured the NCAA Division 1 title last year at the Frozen Four championship in Detroit.

Prior to that, Dumoulin led Biddeford High to Maine Class A state championships in 2007 and 2008, then helped the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs to the Tier III Junior national championship in 2009.

Now, he’ll have a chance to add an important chapter to the bulging Dumoulin family scrapbook.

“I’m very proud,” said Dumoulin’s father Pete. “He’ll be representing our country in front of the world. This is something he’s worked very hard for.”

All games involving Team USA will be telecast on the NHL Network, and will also be available via pay per view webcast on fasthockey.com.

— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.