EDMONTON, Alberta – The United States Under-18 Men’s Select Team fell to Russia 5-4 in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup third-place game Saturday afternoon at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.
Trailing 2-0 early in the third period, Team USA captain John Farinacci (Chatham, N.J.) provided a spark with a power-play goal at 3:27, his second goal of the tournament, but Russia answered with its second power-play goal of the game two minutes later.
Undeterred, the U.S. again pulled to within one goal at 13:53 when Arthur Kaliyev (Delray Beach, Fla.) scored on the power play to make it 3-2, but again the Russians responded, scoring 22 seconds later to re-establish a two-goal lead.
U.S. forward Nicholas Robertson (Northville, Mich.) scored his team-leading fourth goal of the tournament, also on the power play, to cut the margin to 4-3 with 2:32 remaining in the game, but Russia answered less than a minute later to make it 5-3.
Again the U.S. shaved the lead to a single goal, with Josh Nodler (Oak Park, Mich.) sweeping a shot off the post and in with 18 seconds remaining to make it 5-4, but time eventually ran out on Team USA.
NOTES: Russia finished with a 35-30 advantage in shots on goal for the game, but Team USA outshot Russia 16-7 in the third period … U.S. goaltender Derek Mullahy (Scituate, Mass.) stopped 30 of 35 Russian shots … The U.S. went 3 for 6 on the power play; Russia went 3 for 5 … Luke Toporowski (Bettendorf, Iowa) finished the tournament tied with Robertson for the team lead in goals with four … Nodler (1G, 6A) finished as the team’s overall points leader with seven in six games.
