PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Reilly Walsh (Andover, N.H.) tallied two goals but the U.S. National Under-17 Team was clipped by Russia, 5-3, here tonight at USA Hockey Arena. The United States completes 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament play with a 2-0-1-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record to place third in the event.
The opening frame was scoreless through the first half before Russia lit the lamp at 13:36. Less than four minutes later, Walsh snapped the equalizer past Russian goaltender Maxim Zhukov. Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.) and Nate Knoepke (Farmington, Mich.) recorded assists on the power-play tally.
Russia scored the lone goal of the second stanza just 2:57 into the frame to retake the lead, 2-1. The U.S. outshot its opponent 17-7 in an attempt to tie the game, but Zhukov would not allow the equalizer.
On an odd-man rush during the final period of the contest, Russia added a third tally less than five minutes into the session. Walsh’s second marker of the night pulled the U.S. within a goal when he fired a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle at 13:24. David Farrance (Victor, N.Y.) knotted the game, 3-3, just over one minute later off a feed out of the left corner from Scott Reedy (Prior Lake, Minn.). The Russians potted the eventual game winner at 17:15 and added an empty-net score to seal the victory, 5-3.
Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Mich.) stopped 18 shots in the loss for Team USA, while Zhukov kicked out 36 shots in the victory for Russia.
NOTES: The United States outshot Russia, 39-23 … Team USA went 1-5 on the power play while Russia went 0-4 … Russia claimed the tournament title with Finland placing second, the United States third followed by the Czech Republic (4th) and Sweden (5th) … The U.S. roster is composed of 20 members from the 2015-16 U.S. National Under-17 Team, part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
Team USA Schedule | 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament
Feb. 9-13 | USA Hockey Arena | Plymouth, Michigan
Date Game Time (ET) / Result
Sat., Feb. 6 Czech Republic* W, 4-2
Tues., Feb. 9 Czech Republic L, 3-4 (OT)
Wed., Feb. 10 Finland W, 5-2
Fri., Feb. 12 Sweden W, 5-2
Sat., Feb. 13 Russia L, 3-5
*Pre-tournament game
