NYKOPING, Sweden – Kenny Ryan (Franklin Village, Mich.) scored two goals, including what proved to be the game-winner, and Adam Murray (Anchorage, Alaska) made 39 saves as the U.S. National Under-18 Team edged Finland, 3-2, here today to remain unbeaten at the 2009 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament.
After a scoreless first period, Ryan gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead 6:20 into the second stanza after taking a pass from Nick Mattson (Chanhassen, Minn.) and putting the puck past netminder Erno Suomalainen. Adam Clendening (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) doubled the U.S. advantage with a power-play goal at 15:24. Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, N.J.) recorded the lone assist on the play. Finland cut the deficit in half with a goal from Mikael Granlund with just 1:38 to play in the middle frame.
After back-and-forth action for most of the third period, Ryan finally broke through to make it 3-1 in favor of the U.S. at 18:35. Finland pulled Suomalainen in favor of an extra attacker with 58 seconds to go. Iiro Pakarinen got the puck past Murray with just 39 seconds remaining in regulation to get Finland within one. At the 19:42 mark, Finland pulled Suomalainen again in a last-ditch effort, but Team USA was able to hang on for the 3-2 victory.
The U.S. National Under-18 Team closes out the 2009 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament tomorrow against Russia at 12:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. ET) at Rosvalla Arena.
NOTES: Team USA is unbeaten in three meetings with Finland this season. The two clubs last met at the 2008 Men's Under-18 Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., where Team USA downed Finland for the tournament title, 3-2 (Nov. 5, 2008) ... Adam Murray improved to 4-0-0-0 in international competition in 2008-09, with a 2.00 goals-against average and .937 save percentage ... Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) leads Team USA with five points (2-3) in the tournament ... Kyle Palmieri is pacing the U.S. with eight points (4-4) in international competition this season. He has notched at least one point in each of Team USA's three games at the tournament ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team has won the Five Nations Tournament four times (1999, 2005, 2007, 2008) ... The 2009 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament is the final international event for Team USA prior to the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship which runs from April 9-19 in Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn.
GAME SUMMARY
Scoring By Period
| USA | 0 | 2 | 1 -- | 3 |
| FIN | 0 | 1 | 1 -- | 2 |
First Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: FIN, Vatanen (slashing), 8:13; USA, Rempel (holding), 10:13; USA, Brown (holding), 13:26; USA, Brown (misconduct), 13:26; USA, Lynch (charging), 15:35; USA, Shore (roughing), 19:16.
Second Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Ryan (Mattson), 6:20; 2, USA, Clendening (Palmieri), 15:24 (pp); 3, FIN, Granlund (Rajala), 18:22. Penalties: FIN, Hurri (hooking), 14:09; USA, Ramage (roughing), 15:58; FIN, Tallberg (roughing), 15:58; USA, Ramage (roughing), 15:58; FIN, Tallberg (roughing), 15:58; FIN, Karmeniemi (holding), 19:06.
Third Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Ryan (Treais), 18:35; FIN, Pakarinen (unassisted), 59:21(ea). Penalties: USA, Clendening (puck out of play), 8:33.
Power Play: USA 1-3; FIN 0-5
Penalties: USA 8-24; FIN 5-10
Officials: Referees-A. Vikstrom, M. Brolin; Linesmen- Frederik Ulriksson, Viktor Persson Attendance: 398
Shots by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 9 | 16 | 8 | 33 |
| FIN | 11 | 15 | 15 | 41 |
| Goaltenders (SH/SV) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total |
| USA, Murray, 60:00 | 11-11 | 15-14 | 15-14 | 41-39 |
| FIN, Suomalainen, 59:23 | 9-9 | 16-14 | 8-7 | 33-30 |
(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)
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