NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-17 Falls to Marquette, 4-3, in OT

January 30, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


MARQUETTE, Mich. - The U.S. National Under-17 Team dropped a 4-3 decision to the Marquette Rangers here tonight after Garrett Ladd scored with just five seconds remaining in overtime.

James Gallagher put the Rangers up 1-0 at the 4:50 mark of the opening frame. Shane Sooth (Canyon County, Calif.) answered back at 11:15 to tie it up for the U.S. after he put the puck past netminder Dan Sullivan. Austin Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) and Stuart Higgins (Troy, Mich.) received assists on the goal.

In the second stanza, both teams traded leads. Matthew Nieto (Long Beach, Calif.) put the U.S. ahead 2-1 at 8:54 with a power-play tally. The goal came after Nieto's shot from in front deflected past Sullivan. Marquette came charging back with a pair of goals from Garrett Ladd and James Gallagher. The U.S. knotted the score, 3-3, after Chase Balisy (Fullerton, Calif.) shot the puck between Sullivan's legs with just 17 remaining in the second period.

After a scoreless third period, in which U.S. netminder Will Yanakeff (Jerome, Mich.) stopped all 15 shots he faced, the game went to overtime.

After back and forth action for most of the extra stanza, a late icing call put a faceoff inside the U.S. zone with just 11 seconds to play. After the Rangers won the faceoff, a shot came from the left point and Ladd was able to slam home the rebound with just five ticks left on the clock to give the Rangers the 4-3 win.

Yanakeff made 31 saves on the night.

The U.S. National Under-17 Team will close out the series against Marquette Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Lakeview Arena.

NOTES: Matthew Nieto extended his team-leading point total to 38 (16-22) with his second-period goal ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team holds a 4-3 record against the Rangers in 2008-09 ... Team USA was 2-for-6 (33%) on the power play tonight.

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North American Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2009


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