SEREBRYAKOV MAKES 51 SAVES AS RUSSIA STEALS WIN OVER UNITED STATES

Press Release

WINDSOR, Ont. – Nikita Serebryakov stole the show with a 51-save performance as Russia opened its 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 3-2 victory over the United States on Friday afternoon at the WFCU Centre.

The win is the first for Russia over the U.S. at the U17 tournament since a 10-3 rout in 1997, and ended the Americans’ preliminary round winning streak at 13, dating back to a 4-2 loss to Germany at the 2008 event in London, Ont.

Serebryakov was at his busiest in the first period, when he made almost half of his 51 stops, turning aside 24 shots. The Russian netminder stopped all 11 he faced in the second period and went 16-for-18 in the third.

Sergei Tolchinski and Ivan Fischenko scored in the first two periods for Russia (1-0), which led 2-0 after 40 minutes despite being outshot 35-15, and Grigori Dikushin netted the game-winner just minutes after Evan Allen had got the U.S. on the board.

Hudson Fasching scored the other goal for the Americans (1-1), who were on the ice in Windsor just 16 hours after wrapping up their tournament-opening 5-1 win over the Czech Republic in LaSalle on Thursday night.

The Russians will look for a 2-0 start when they visit LaSalle to take on Pacific on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. ET), while the Americans won’t see the ice again until New Year’s Day, when they meet West in Tecumseh (7 p.m. ET).

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