USHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-18 Team Defeats the Czech Republic, 5-2, in 2012 Five Nations Tournament

Published on February 9, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


RAUMA, Finland - Riley Barber (Livonia, Mich.) netted three goals, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team defeated the Czech Republic, 5-2, in the 2012 Five Nations Tournament opener here this evening at Rauma Arena.

"The guys came out strong and earned this victory," said Danton Cole, head coach of the U.S. National Under-18 Team. "We have to come out with the same hard-working attitude tomorrow against a talented Swedish team."

Team USA scored first at 6:47 of the opening period when Barber deposited the puck into the net for his first goal of the game. Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.) earned assists on the play. Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) then converted the only power-play opportunity of the frame at 9:18 to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead. Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) and Seth Jones (Plano, Texas) collected assists on the score. Connor Carrick (Orland Park, Ill.) tallied the final goal of the period at 12:08 off a Brendan Silk (Wakefield, Mass.) pass, giving Team USA a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.

Carrick set-up Barber for his second goal of the game at 2:55 of the middle frame. The Czech Republic notched a power-play marker at 10:19, but the U.S. held a 4-1 advantage after two periods of action.

Barber completed the hat trick at 3:02 of the third period. Skjei and Jones both recorded their second assists of the game on the goal. The Czech Republic scored a power-play goal at 16:36, but the U.S. skated away with a 5-2 victory. Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped 13 shots for Team USA in the win, while Marek Langhamer turned aside 43 shots for the Czech Republic in the loss.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team continues tournament play against Sweden on Friday (Feb. 10) at 12:30 p.m. EST. The game will be held at Panelia Arena. A complete Team USA schedule is below.

NOTES: Connor Carrick was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Team USA outshot the Czech Republic, 48-15 ... The U.S. finished 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Czech Republic went 2-for-4 with the man advantage ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... The 2012 Five Nations Tournament features teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States ... The U.S. has claimed the tournament title the last four years (2008-11) ... Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #5NATIONS ... For additional coverage, visit USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Facebook page ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team is also competing internationally this week at the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia ... The U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary new software program released on October 1, 2010 that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.

Check out the U.S. National Team Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United States Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central