Monday, August 10, 2009

Team White wins a thriller

Press Release

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, N.J.) each logged hat tricks as Team White overcame a three-goal third-period deficit to knock off Team Blue, 8-7, in overtime. The win gave Team White a 2-1 series win against Team Blue in intrasquad games here at the 2009 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Despite trailing, 7-4, with less than 12 minutes remaining in the third period, Team White rallied with a pair of power-play goals and a shorthanded tally. Palmieri logged both the last-minute game-tying goal and overtime tally, beating Team Blue goaltender Mike Lee (Roseau, Minn.) high to the glove side with just 10 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

Team Blue jumped out to an early lead when defenseman David Warsofsky (Marshfield, Mass.) potted his first goal of the camp. A crowd-pleasing dangle by Team White’s Kristo led to a tie game 12 minutes into the first.

Team White took its first lead of the night when A.J. Jenks (Wolverine Lake, Mich.) beat Team Blue goalie Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) above the blocker from the top of the right circle. But Team Blue responded as well, knotting the score at 2-2 with a Ryan Bourque (Boxford, Mass.) tip-in from the side of the net.

The second period saw an explosion of offense, as both teams combined for six goals. Team White seemed to gain control of the game when Kristo and Palmieri buried wrist shots high past Maxwell. Team Blue’s special teams came to life in the second half of the frame, however. After a four-on-four tally by Jeremy Morin (Auburn, N.Y.), Team Blue’s Zach Budish (Edina, Minn.) capitalized on a two-man advantage with a tap-in off a Jordan Schroeder (Prior Lake, Minn.) feed.

Morin extended Team Blue’s onslaught, throwing a centering feed off of Team White goalie Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.) and into the net for a power-play goal. Team Blue pushed its lead to 6-4 shorthanded when defenseman John Carlson (Colonia, N.J.) stole a pass in his own end and flipped the puck to Schroeder who connected on a breakaway chance.

Team Blue took a three-goal lead less than four minutes into the third when Philip McRae (Chesterfield, Mo.) took a cross-ice pass from A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and found the open net. Team White stopped its slide thanks to a power-play goal by John Moore (Winnetka, Ill.), however, and began to tilt the ice the other direction.

Kristo earned his hat trick with a shorthanded rush, jamming a backhand shot past Lee. Then, with less than a minute remaining in regulation, Palmieri tied the game at 7-7, finding a loose puck in the crease for a power-play equalizer.

NOTES: The USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp roster will be trimmed in preparation for games against Russia, to take place Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 14-15 … The 2010 U.S. National Junior Team, to be selected later this year, will participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask., Dec. 26 – Jan. 5.

(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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