Lawson leads US Under-18 team at World Junior Cup

Published on August 19, 2004 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
St. Louis Bandits News Release


Kyle Lawson, who finished last season with the Texarkana Bandits, led the United States team in scoring during the recently completed Under-18 World Junior Cup played in tournament Piestany, Slovakia.

Lawson's three goals in three games helped the Under 18-Select Team to a fourth place finish that might have been better had Lawson been able to play in the third place game.

Sweden topped the U.S., 3-0 in that contest. In addition to Lawson and Kevin Deeth, who both missed the game with injuries, 14 of the team's players were feeling the effects of food poisoning in the third-place game.

With a 2-3-0 overall record, Team USA was 2-1-0 in its first three games of the tournament, before falling to Canada in the semifinal game.

Team Canada dominated the Czechs in the title game, 4-1, to capture its eighth championship in the last nine years of the event.

The U.S. team claimed first place last year.

After a scoreless first period, Sweden opened scoring at 5:59 of the second, with a long shot from the point that was tipped in past U.S. netminder Drew O'Connell. Sweden increased its lead to 2-0 at 17:45 while on the power play.

An empty-net goal at 18:19 of the third period gave Sweden the 3-0 win.

Team USA opened the tournament last Tuesday, with a 3-1 win over Finland. Following a 3-2 victory against Russia on Wednesday, the U.S. closed out round-robin competition in Group A on Thursday, with a 5-1 loss to the Czech Republic.

In the semifinal round, Canada avenged last year's semifinal loss to the U.S. with a 4-0 win over Team USA.

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North American Hockey League Stories from August 19, 2004


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