Sunday, December 19, 2010

U.S. Junior Squad Drops 4-3 Shootout Decision to RPI

Press Release

TROY, N.Y. - Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas/Univ. of Michigan) scored twice, but a U.S. squad of candidates for the 2011 U.S. National Junior Team fell to the Rensselaer men's ice hockey team, 4-3, in a shootout tonight at Houston Field House.

Tonight's game was the first of three pre-tournament games designed to prepare the U.S. National Junior Team for the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, which will take place Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y. Of the 29 players invited to the pre-tournament camp, 22 will be selected to the final U.S. roster.

"I don't know if I'd call it a crazy game, but it certainly was an interesting finish," said Keith Allain, head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team. "We'll continue to evaluate our players as we get closer to the tournament."

Team USA took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the first period. Brock Nelson (Minneapolis, Minn./Univ. of North Dakota) won an offensive-zone faceoff cleanly to Brown, who fired a shot high past the blocker of Rensselaer goalie Allen York.

Rensselaer took a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but Team USA responded to knot the score once again. Drew Shore (Denver, Colo./Univ. of Denver) slid a pass through the slot to Emerson Etem (Long Beach, Calif./Medicine Hat Tigers), who fired a quick shot over York's glove.

The U.S. regained its one-goal lead with less than 10 seconds remaining in the second period. On a three-on-two rush, Brown snapped a shot high to the far post for his second of the night.

But RPI answered late in the third period to tie the game and send it into overtime. After a scoreless extra frame, RPI needed 12 shootout rounds to defeat Team USA, as Jerry D'Amigo (Binghamton, N.Y./Toronto Marlies) failed to convert on the final shot.

Team USA will play its next pre-tournament game on Tuesday (Dec. 21) against the Czech Republic at The Sports Centre at MCC in Rochester, N.Y. The game, to be webcast live on FASTHockey.USAHockey.com, will start at 7 p.m. EST.

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

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