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NAHL U.S. National Team

U-18s top Toledo, U-17s swept by Soo

December 17, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


United States National Under-18 Team

The U.S. Under-18 Team went 1-2 on the week with their only NAHL action being a home win over the Toledo IceDiggers on, Tuesday, December 7.

Billy Blase (Santa Monica, Cailfornia) posted his first shut out of the season making 30 saves while defenseman Jack Johnson (Faribault, Minnesota) led the offense with two tallies, including the game-winning first goal, in a 6-0 romp over the IceDiggers.

Johnson opened the scoring just 54 seconds into the game with a picture perfect wrap around goal. Swooping in from the left point Johnson collected a loose puck behind the IceDiggers net swung around the goal and buried a shot into an empty net before Toledo goaltender Justin Marriot (Ontario, California) had time to get from post to post.

Phil Kessel (Madison, Wisconsin), who earlier in the day was selected to represent the United States at the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship, notched his sixteenth goal and third shorthanded score of the season just five minutes after Johnson's goal.

A pair of Bloomington, Minnesota, natives gave the U.S. a four-goal cushion as Peter Mueller and Ryan Stoa tallied at the 6:47 and 8:41 mark respectively in the first period. Three minutes and twenty-nine seconds after Stoa had scored his twelfth of the year, Zac MacVoy (Livonia, Michigan) recorded his fifth of the season with a precision shot to the upper right side of the net.

United States National Under-17 Team

The U.S. Under-17 Team was defeated twice in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. by the Soo Kewadin Casino Indians. On Friday, December 10, they fell 3-1 with a 6-1 loss on Saturday, December 11, 2004.

On Friday, Billy Sweatt (Elburn, Illinois) opened the game scoring for the U-17 team with a marker at 7:24 of the first period. Kevin Montgomery (Rochester, New York) and James O'Brien (Maplewood, Minnesota) picked up there ninth and seventh, respectively, assist of the season.

Indians forward Matt Jones (Grand Rapids, Michigan) responded with the first of the three Soo goals with a tally 21 seconds into the second period. A U-17 second period penalty allowed Soo front-liner Joe Beaudry (Marquette, Michigan) to score the game-winning goal when he scored on the power play at 7:37 of the middle period.

The Soo added an insurance goal when Ryan Ward (Saline, Michigan) bested U-17 goaltender Brett Bennett (Williamsville, New York) in the third period.

The U-17 had no answer for the Soo Indians Saturday night as they fell behind 4-0 after one period en route to a 6-1 defeat.

The Soo scored the first three goals of the game in a span of just over three minutes as Derek Stabile (Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan), Joey Bacon (Cambridge, Minnesota) and Nik Sellers (Plymouth, Michigan) scored rapid-fire tallies.

Michael Carman (Apple Valley, Minnesota) notched his seventh goal of the season (his fourth power play goal) with Chris Atkinson (Sparta, New Jersey) and Trent Palm (Edina, Minnesota) earned assists on the extra man score.

U-17 goaltender Brett Bennett (Williamsville, New York), who entered the game at the 5:40 mark of the first period, posted 24 saves in a relief effort.

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North American Hockey League Stories from December 17, 2004


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