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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. National Under-18 Team Wins Season Opener, 3-2

September 14, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


BLAINE, Minn. - Led by two power-play goals, the U.S. National Under-18 Team earned a 3-2 victory tonight over the St. Louis Bandits to open the 2006-07 Season. The match-up was also the opening game for Team USA at the 2006 North American Hockey League Showcase held at Schwann's Super Rink.

In an evenly matched first period the Bandits struck first with 5:05 remaining in the period on the power-play. Then St. Louis stretched the lead to two 2:37 later when Matt Zuke was able to slip one past U.S. net minder Brad Phillips (Farmington Hills, Mich.).

Team USA came out of the locker room with a spark to start the second period and took the play to the Bandits. U.S. defenseman Joe Lavin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) cut the St. Louis lead to one when he when he beat St. Louis goaltender Patrick Nagle on wrist shot trough heavy traffic in front of the net. Team USA continued the strong effort throughout the second frame, out shooting the Bandits 20-5 in the period.

Team USA's offensive momentum carried into the final frame as well. Just 1:34 into the third U.S. defenseman A.J. Sturges (Madison, Wis.) batted in a rebound shot from a John Albert (Conconrd, Ohio) attempt in front of Nagle to knot the game at two. On the U.S. power-play, C.J. Severyn (Beaver, Pa.) notched the eventual game-winner with 4:33 remaining in the game when he buried a rebound from a Colby Cohen (Radnor, Pa.) blast. Phillips was perfect in net for Team USA in the final two frames to cement the 3-2 victory.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team will face defending three-time NAHL Champion Texas Tornado tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. (cst) in the second match-up of the four game trip for Team USA.

NOTES: For the second consecutive season, U.S. Hockey Legend and South St. Paul, Minn., native Phil Housley has volunteered to help instruct the defense corps for Team USA at the NAHL Showcase. Housley was a seven-time member of the U.S. Men's National Team (1982, 1986, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2003) and earned a silver medal with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The four-day NAHL Showcase is a yearly event consisting of all 17 NAHL clubs competing in regular season games against non-divisional opponents at Schwann's Super Rink.

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