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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Nat'l U18 Team Tops MSU, 4-2

December 16, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


EAST LANSING, Mich. - Kenny Ryan (Franklin Village, Mich.) tallied the go-ahead goal at 14:25 of the third period to help the U.S. National Under-18 Team overcome Michigan State University, 4-2, here tonight at Munn Arena.

Michigan State struck 2:11 into the game after Mike Merrifield chipped Ben Warda's pass over sprawling netminder Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) from the right side.

A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) knotted the score after he picked up Ryan Bourque's (Boxford, Mass) rebound and slammed it past netminder Drew Palmisano for a power-play goal at 6:01 of the second period. Then, with Team USA down one man, Treais intercepted a pass in the Spartan zone and sent the puck to Bourque who broke in on Palmisano all alone and fired a wrist shot into the right side of the net at 12:29 tally to give Team USA the 2-1 advantage. Maxwell stopped all 11 shots he faced in the frame.

In the final stanza, Corey Tropp tied things up after he batted the puck from mid-air into the back of the net at 7:34. With 5:35 remaining in regulation, Ryan stole the puck from a Spartan defenseman at the U.S. blue line, streaked down the right side and fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Palmisano high-blocker side to put Team USA ahead, 3-2. Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, N.Y.) added an empty net goal with just 31 seconds remaining in the period to ice the 4-2 victory.

Maxwell made 37 saves, including 19 in the third period to earn his 10th win of the season.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team next travels to Grand Forks, N.D., to meet the University of North Dakota on Friday (December 19) at 7:37 p.m. CT.

NOTES: The U.S. National Under-18 Team improved to 4-3-0 all-time against Michigan State and 10-6-1 against NCAA competition in 2007-08... Kenny Ryan ranks second on Team USA with 12 goals this season ... Brandon Maxwell notched his 31st career win and moved into 10th place on the NTDP's all-time wins list.

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