Thursday, November 11, 2010

U.S. National Under-17 Team Defeats Switzerland, 6-1

Press Release

WOODRIDGE, Ill. - Miles Koules (Los Angeles, Calif./2-1) recorded three points, including the game-winning goal, and Thomas Di Pauli (Woodridge, Ill.) and Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor, Mich.) each collected a goal and an assist, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team defeated Switzerland, 6-1, here tonight in the 2010 Under-17 Four Nations Cup at Seven Bridges Ice Arena.

"We are very happy with the outcome of the game," said Danton Cole, head coach of the U.S. National Under-17 Team. "We did a lot of good things on the ice, especially killing those three consecutive penalties in the third period."

Team USA opened the scoring with a goal at the 13:08 mark of the first period, when Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) converted on a five-on-three power-play opportunity. Seth Jones (Plano, Texas) sent a pass to Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.), who fired a slap shot on net from the left point. When Trouba's shot was blocked away by Swiss goaltender Melvin Nyffeler, Kerdiles banged in the rebound for the score.


Switzerland tied the game just a minute and a half later, but the U.S. responded with a goal by Koules to regain the lead heading into the first intermission. After a scrum in front of the net, Koules found the puck and poked it through Nyffeler for the 2-1 edge.

Di Pauli then gave Team USA a two-goal advantage when he scored 6:40 into the second period, by knocking Frankie Vatrano's (East Longmeadow, Mass.) shot out of the air and into the back of the net. Sieloff netted Team USA's second power-play goal of the game six minutes later, when he scored on a pass from Koules to increase the U.S. lead to 4-1. Just 28 seconds after his own goal, Sieloff fed the puck to Koules, who recorded his second score of the game.

Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) notched the lone third-period goal on a slap shot from the left point, after connecting on a cross-ice pass from Gavin Stoick (Portland, Ore.), to lift Team USA to a 6-1 victory.

Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) made 19 saves for Team USA in the win, while Nyffeler stopped 32 shots for Switzerland in the loss.

The U.S. National Under-17 Team will next face Russia on Friday (Nov. 12) at 8 p.m. ET.

NOTES: Team USA went 3-for-5 on the power play, while Switzerland was 0-for-6 with the man-advantage.




(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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