US wins opener

Press Release

PIESTANY, Slovakia – Austin Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) recorded a goal and added an assist as the U.S. National Under-17 Team topped Germany, 3-1, here today in the opening game of the 2009 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament.

Team USA got on the board at 3:01 of the first period when Czarnik stepped out from behind the goal line and put a shot past netminder Kai Kristian on the short side. The goal came on the power play with Stu Higgins (Troy, Mich.) and Kevin Gravel (Kingsford, Mich.) collecting assists on the play. Team USA out shot Germany 14-4 in the first 20 minutes.

Germany answered back with a goal off the stick of Tom Kuhnhackl at 4:18 of the second stanza to tie the score, 1-1. Just 2:38 later, Frankie Simonelli (Bensenville, Ill.) regained the advantage for the U.S. after he streaked in from the right point, collected the puck in the slot and fired a wrist shot past Kristian, low-stick side. The U.S. made it 3-1 after Czarnik found Shane Sooth (Canyon County, Calif.), who deked to his backhand and put the puck past Kristian. Higgins also posted an assist on Sooth's power-play marker.

Team USA kept the pressure on in the third period, pouring 15 shots on net, but neither team was able to score in the closing 20 minutes, giving the U.S. the 3-1 victory.

U.S. goaltender Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.) made 12 saves on the afternoon.

The U.S. National Under-17 Team is back in action tomorrow against Switzerland. The puck is set to drop at 1:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m. ET) in Piestany.

NOTES: Team USA out shot Germany by a 42-13 margin ... Jack Campbell has not lost in regulation against international competition in 2008-09, posting a 6-0-1-0 record... Kevin Gravel notched his first point with Team USA with an assist. Gravel is a defenseman for the Marquette Rangers of the North American Hockey League ... Austin Czarnik has 10 assists for Team USA in international competition, good enough to tie him with Chase Balisy (Fullerton, Calif.) for the team lead ... The U.S. National Under-17 Team has won the Vlad Dzurilla Tournament four times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007).


GAME SUMMARY


Scoring By Period
USA 1 2 0 -- 3
GER 0 1 0 -- 1

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Czarnik (Higgins, Gravel), 3:01 (pp). Penalties: GER, Bittner (holding), 2:48; USA, Fallon (high-sticking), 6:08; USA, Gravel (holding), 17:29.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, GER, Kuhnhackl (Hufner, Steinhauer), 4:18; 3, USA, Simonelli (Tinordi), 6:56; 4, USA, Sooth (Czarnik, Higgins), 14:06 (pp). Penalties: USA, Faulk (charging), 2:00; GER, Hufner (holding), 7:25; GER, Bittner (hookin), 13:35; GER, Hauner (tripping), 14:20.

Third Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: USA, Shore (holding), :32; USA, Merrill (delay of game), 1:21; GER, Team (too many players), 13:45.


Shots by Period

1

2

3

Total
USA 14 13 15 42
GER 4 4 5 13


Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Campbell, 60:00 4-4 4-3 5-5 13-11
GER, Kristian, 59:58 14-13 13-11 15-15 42-39

Power Play: USA 2-5; GER 0-5
Penalties: USA 5-10; GER 5-10
Officials: Referees - Roman Rudy, Peter Loksik; Linesmen - Tomas Bundil, Milan Masik
Attendance: 251

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)