Thursday, February 9, 2012

U.S. rolls in Vlad Dzurilla opener

Press Release

PIESTANY, Slovakia - Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Connor Chatham (Belleville, Ill.) each recorded three-point games, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team defeated Switzerland, 6-1, in the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament opener here this afternoon at the Piestany Ice Arena.

"It was important for us to start this tough tournament with a win," said Don Granato, head coach of the U.S. National Under-17 Team. "Our focus shifts to our next opponent and we'll need the same effort we had today."

Team USA opened the scoring at 2:39 of the first period. John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) notched the goal for the U.S. with Michael McCarron (Macomb, Mich.) earning the assist. The U.S. outshot Switzerland, 14-6, in the opening period.

Switzerland tied the game, 1-1, at the 2:29 mark of the second stanza. Dawson Cook (Cadillac, Mich.) tallied a short-handed goal to reclaim the lead for the U.S. at 3:51. A power-play strike by Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) extended Team USA's lead to two goals, 3-1. Kevin Labanc (Staten Island, N.Y.) collected an assist on the play. Allen netted the fourth goal for the U.S. at 13:52. Chatham registered an assist on the score.

Chatham netted back-to-back goals, one with the man advanatge, 52 seconds apart in the third period to ice the game for Team USA. Allen and Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) earned assists on each of the tallies. Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) turned aside all six shots he faced in the third period, and 16 shots total, in the win for the U.S. The netminder duo of Robin Kuonen and Melvin Nyffeler made a combined 31 saves for Switzerland in the loss.

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

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