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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. U17 Team Edged by Springfield, 4-3

December 20, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Despite a two-point effort from both Matthew Nieto (Long Beach, Calif./1-1--2) and Chase Balisy (Fullerton, Calif./0-2--2), the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to the Springfield Jr. Blues, 4-3, here tonight at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

Team USA struck just 1:51 into the game when Austin Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) converted on a Nieto feed from between the faceoff circles. Springfield answered back on the power play when Kyle Verbeek's shot from the right faceoff dot glanced off the right leg of netminder Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.) and into the lower left corner of the cage at 17:14.

Nieto put Team USA ahead, 2-1, after his power-play goal just 1:32 into the middle frame. The goal came after Balisy spun away from a Springfield defender in the right corner and feathered a pass to Nieto who fired the puck inside the right post. Jason Zucker (Las Vegas, Nev.) doubled the U.S. lead after he split the Jr. Blues defense and chipped a backhand shot into the upper left corner at 8:50. The Jr. Blues answered back with just 28 seconds remaining in the period when Rob Dongara fired a slap shot past Campbell from the top of the left faceoff circle. The Jr. Blues came back with a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 8:56 of the final stanza off the stick of Randy Cure to knot the score, 3-3. Then, with just 2:36 remaining in regulation, Nick Curry fired a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that sailed over the right shoulder of Campbell. For the closing 2:03, Team USA pulled Campbell in favor of an extra attacker, but was unable to find the equalizer.

Campbell made 30 saves on the night.

The U.S. National Under-17 Team will travel to the Alberni Valley in British Columbia for the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which begins on Dec. 29, 2008 and ends on Jan. 5, 2009. The tournament will feature 10 teams, including five Canadian regional teams, Finland, Germany Slovakia, Russia and the United States. Team USA will play a pre-tournament game against Team Pacific (Canada) on December 28 in Port Alberni, B.C., at 7 p.m. PT.

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North American Hockey League Stories from December 20, 2008


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