Sasha Pastujov, Dylan Duke and Lane Hutson named Team USA’s three best players of the tournament
FRISCO, Texas – The U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team fell to Sweden, 5-2, Monday evening at Comerica Center to end the team’s 2021 Under-18 Men’s World Championship run.
Mattias Havelid put Sweden on top early in the first with a power-play goal off a wrister from the top of the left circle.
It appeared that Ethan Straky (Ormond Beach, Fla.) answered quickly for Team USA, but after a video review, it was declared no goal due to the net being off its moorings.
Sasha Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.) tied the game on the man advantage with 7:00 to play in the middle period. Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.) fed Dylan Duke (Strongsville, Ohio) down low for a shot in front of the cage that was stopped. Pastujov collected the rebound and sent it in for his team-leading fifth score of the tournament.
Sweden responded with a goal from Fabian Lysell less than a minute later to take a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes of action.
Lysell made it back-to-back goals for Sweden and a 3-1 lead when he connected with a shot off a 2-on-1 break 86 seconds into the final period.
Sweden made it a three-goal deficit with another score with just over five minutes to play to make it a 4-1 game.
Red Savage (Scottsale, Ariz.) brought the U.S. within two when he found a loose puck in the crease and slid it in with just under two minutes to play. He was assisted by Duke and Jack Hughes (Westwood, Mass.).
Sweden added an empty-netter for the 5-2 final.
Team USA’s three best players of the tournament were Sasha Pastujov, Dylan Duke and Lane Hutson (Barrington, Ill.).
NOTES: Red Savage, who scored a goal,was named the U.S. Player of the Game, presented by Elite Prospects… Team USA news, interviews, highlights and more can be found at TeamUSA.USAHockey.com….For the official IIHF home for the 2021 Under-18 World Championship, click here… 23 of the 24 players on Team USA’s roster come from the National Team Development Program.
