NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National U17 Team Drops Quebec, 4-3

Published on January 1, 2009 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


PORT ALBERNI, B.C. - Jason Zucker's (Las Vegas, Nev.) shorthanded tally at 12:19 of the third period proved to be the game-winner as the U.S. National Under-17 Team topped Team Canada Quebec here tonight in its second game at the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Quebec struck 1:27 into the game when Gabriel Dejardins took the puck inside the U.S. zone, broke in on netminder Willie Yanakeff (Jerome, Mich.) and roofed a shot into the upper left corner. Derek Forbort (Duluth, Minn.) answered back for Team USA at 7:49 with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat goaltender Louis Boileau-Domingue. With the U.S. down one man, Yasin Cisse's shot from the left faceoff circle glanced off the stick of Cedrik Henley and into the bottom right corner of the net to make it 2-1.

Stefan Fornier doubled Team Quebec's lead with another power-play marker at 3:51 of the second period when he batted the puck through Yanakeff from between the faceoff circles. Kevin Clare (New Rochelle, N.Y.) cut the deficit in half when he jumped into the play, picked up the puck in the high slot and ripped a shot into the upper left corner.

Team USA knotted the score when Brandon Saad (Gibsonia, Pa.) slammed home a rebound from the doorstep 6:23 into the final frame. With 8:41 to play in regulation, Nick Shore (Denver, Colo.) carried the puck into the Quebec zone and feathered a pass to a streaking Zucker who fired it past Boileau-Domingue to give Team USA its first lead of the game. Yanakeff stopped all 10 shots he saw in the closing 20 minutes to preserve the 4-3 victory for Team USA.

Yanakeff made a total of 40 saves on the night.

The Team USA returns to action on Thursday (Jan. 1) against Slovakia at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) in Port Alberni.

NOTES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team sits tied atop Group B with Team Canada West with a 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record ... Jason Zucker was named Team USA player of the game for the second straight contest ... Chase Balisy (Fullerton, Calif./0-4-4), Jacob Fallon (Southlake, Texas/2-2-4), Brandon Saad (3-1-4) and Nick Shore (2-2-4) lead Team USA with four points each ... The 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge features ten international teams including five Canadian regional teams (Ontario, Quebec, Pacific, West and Atlantic), Finland, Germany, Russia, and the United States ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team has captured the tournament title twice (2001, 2002) and has placed second in each of the last two years of the event.

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North American Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2009


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