PLYMOUTH, Mich.- Tyler Weiss (Raleigh, N.C.) netted the game-winning goal in the final two minutes of regulation while Jack Hughes (Orlando, Fla.) and Oliver Wahlstrom (Quincy, Mass.) recorded three-point nights as the U.S. National Under-18 Team defeated Russia, 5-4, on Friday night at USA Hockey Arena in its third matchup of the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament.
Team USA can clinch first place in the tournament with a win against Finland tomorrow in the 7 p.m. showdown at USA Hockey Arena.
U.S. head coach Seth Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.) was pleased with the U.S. team’s turnaround after its loss on Wednesday to the Czech Republic.
“It was the complete opposite of the Czech game which was great because we talked a lot about that,” said Appert. “Our guys could’ve been really frustrated again when we were down, outshooting them badly, and the power play wasn’t clicking but in the third period we shared the puck as well as we’ve shared the puck all tournament and all of the goals came on give and go type plays, not from one guy trying to beat four guys.”
Team Russia struck first on a two-on-one breakaway at 7:14 in the first period. Ivan Morozov scored, and Kirill Marchenko and Andrei Svechnikov assisted on the goal.
Russia scored again at 9:46 in the first when Grigory Denisenko was able to slip it past the outstretched pad of the U.S. goaltender to make it 2-0 heading into the first intermission.
Thirteen seconds into the second period, Svechnikov shot the puck on the backhand top-shelf on a breakaway to give Russia a 3-0 lead early in the period.
K’Andre Miller (Minnetonka, Minn.) tallied the first Team USA goal on a shorthanded point shot at the 19:00 mark of the second period to make it 3-1. Trevor Janicke (Maple Grove, Minn.) picked up an assist after winning the faceoff back to Miller.
Fifty-four seconds into the third period, Hughes scored off a pass from Miller to put Team USA within one of Russia. Wahlstrom also assisted on the goal.
Danila Galenuk scored off a deflection in front at 10:24 in the third to give Russia a 4-2 lead. Daniil Zhuravlev and Svechnikov tallied assists on the goal.
Joel Farabee (Cicero, N.Y.) scored at 11:04 of the third to make it 4-3. Hughes stickhandled around the defender in front and passed to Farabee who shot the puck past the Amir Miftakhof’s stick. Wahlstrom also assisted on the goal.
Wahlstrom netted a goal at 13:13 of the third to tie the game, 4-4. Hughes picked up his third point of the night with the assist on the goal.
At 18:34 of the third, Weiss scored for Team USA to give the U.S. its first lead, 5-4. Jake Wise (Reading, Mass.) assisted on the goal.
Drew DeRidder (Fenton, Mich.) made 15 saves, including a Russian penalty shot during the third period.
Russia returns to action tomorrow at 3:30 in its final game of the tournament against Sweden.
In the first game of the day, Sweden defeated the Czech Republic, 4-1.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit USAHockeyNTDP.com/20185NationsTix or call the USA Hockey Arena box office at 734.453.8400.
NOTES: The U.S. was 0-8 on the power play while Russia went 1-7 … Team USA is 1-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament with one game left to play … Live streaming, schedule, statistics and full schedule information can be found on the official tournament website here… Along with the U.S., the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament features the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and Russia … Complete tournament history can be found here … Follow @USAHockeyNTDP on Twitter for tournament updates and join the conversation on social media by using #5NationsU18 … Seth Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.) is leading the U.S. National Under-18 Team in the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament. Joining Appert are associate coach Nick Fohr (Grand Forks, N.D.), and intern assistant coach Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.).
