NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Nat'l Under-18 Team Drops Jr. Blues, 7-3

Published on March 24, 2007 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y.) recorded a hat trick to lead the U.S. National Under-18 Team to a 7-3 victory over the Springfield (Ill.) Jr. Blues tonight in North American Hockey League action at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

Shattenkirk opened the scoring 3:19 into the game with a power-play goal when he fired a shot from the point that found its way through traffic in front of Jr. Blues netminder Adam Roy. Colin Wilson (Greenwich, Conn.) made it a 2-0 game 41 seconds later when his backhand shot from the slot slid past Roy. Springfield cut the U.S. lead to 2-1, 10:18 into the opening period on a power-play goal from Cory Patterson.

Jordan Schroeder (Lakeville, Minn.) notched his second goal in as many nights, 3:39 later in the opening period, with a shorthanded goal on a feed from John Albert (Concord, Ohio). Shattenkirk notched his second goal of the period with 2:45 left in the period when he blasted a slapshot from the top of the left circle past Roy to give Team USA a 4-1 advantage at the end of the opening period.

Springfield notched its second goal of the game 1: 21 into the second period when Steve Mohler beat U.S. netminder Brad Phillips (Farmington Hills, Mich.) from deep in the U.S. end to make it a 4-2 contest. The Jr. Blues struck again 2:58 later on a Mike Crowder goal to cut the U.S. lead to 4-3. Shattenkirk then completed the hat trick to give Team USA a 5-3 lead with another blast from the point off a feed from defensive partner Cade Fairchild (Duluth, Minn.).

U.S. forward Vinny Saponari (Powder Springs, Ga.) tallied two goals late in the second frame to put Team USA up 7-3. Saponari's first goal came when linemate Ryan Hayes (Syracuse, N.Y.) skated through the Springfield defenseman then dished the puck to him and he buried it past Roy. His second tally of the period came off a similar feed from Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) deep in the Jr. Blues zone to give Team USA a 7-3 advantage at the end of two periods.

Phillips turned aside all nine shots he faced in the final frame to earn his 15th win of the season.

NOTES: The U.S. National Under-18 Team went 16-0-1 versus NAHL competition this season.

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2007


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