OTTAWA, Ontario – Five players tallied at least two points, including a goal and three assists from Jordan Schroeder (Prior Lake, Minn./University of Minnesota), to help the United States National Junior Team defeat Germany, 8-2, here tonight in its opening game at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.
With the U.S. on a five-on-three power play, Colin Wilson (Greenwich, Conn./Boston University)banged home a cross-crease pass from Schroeder at 8:23 to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead. After Germany tied the game at 12:08, Drayson Bowman (Littleton, Colo.) scored off a rebound with 2:03 left in the period and Team USA had a 2-1 advantage after 20 minutes.
"I thought we were tentative in the first period, but came out and had a much better second," said U.S. Head Coach Ron Rolston. "Overall, it was a good start to the tournament."
Schroeder made a near end-to-end rush up the right wall, cut to the faceoff dot and the beat German netminder Timo Pielmeier high to the glove side just :20 into the second period to stake the U.S. to a 3-1 advantage. After James van Riemsdyk (Middletown, N.J./University of New Hampshire)converted a three-way passing play that included Wilson and Schroeder on the power play at 12:43,Tyler Johnson (Spokane, Wash.) scored on a backhand shot that went in and out of the net so quickly that it was only credited after an official review at 14:27.
Philipp Grubauer replaced Pielmeier in the German net to start the third and just :35 into the period he allowed his first goal as van Riemsdyk scored from the side of the net. Bowman fired the puck home from between the circles at 6:26 to put the U.S. ahead 6-1. After Germany gained its second goal of the game, Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./University of Michigan) carried the puck from the U.S. end, broke between two German defenders at the blueline, and scored with :01 left in regulation to account for the 8-2 final.
U.S. netminder Thomas McCollum (Sanborn, N.Y.) made 16 saves to earn the victory.
The U.S. National Junior Team returns to action Sunday (Dec. 28) when it faces the Czech Republic at 7:30 p.m. EST in its second game at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ontario. The game can be seen live in the United States on the NHL Network.
NOTES: Forward Drayson Bowman (Littleton, Colo.) was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... Team USA won its opening game of the IIHF World Junior Championship for the fifth time in six years ... Team USA outshot Germany, 46-18, including by a 14-4 margin in the final period ...The U.S. will practice at 11:30 a.m. EST tomorrow at Scotiabank Place ... Eleven players tallied at least one point for Team USA in the win ... Defenseman Jonathon Blum(Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) is the captain of the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team, while forward Colin Wilson and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y./Boston University) are the team's alternate captains ... The 2009 U.S. National Junior Team trained in Lake Placid, N.Y., at the Olympic Training Center from Dec. 16-20 ... Ron Rolston (Ann Arbor, Mich.), head coach of the U.S. National Under-18 Team within USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, is the head coach of the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team. Nate Leaman (Clifton Park, N.Y./Union College) and P.K. O'Handley (Waterloo, Iowa/Waterloo Black Hawks) are serving as assistant coaches, while Jeff Blashill (Indianapolis, Ind./Indiana Ice) is the goaltending coach ... The NHL Network will broadcast live all Team USA games in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship ... Team USA finished fourth at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship and has played for a medal in the event each of the last six years.
(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment