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PIESTANY, Slovakia – Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (Parma, Ohio) stopped 35 shots and four different U.S. players scored goals to help the U.S. Under-18 Select Team defeat Russia, 4-2, at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament today.
“Game experience has gone a long way for us,” said Bob Corkum, head coach of Team USA. “We’ve worked on special teams a lot and the guys understand what we’re doing. We’ve been able to find success below the top of the circles and we’re earning shots down low in the offensive zone. We had to refocus a little bit at the start of the third period, but the guys have bought in and played well in the third.”
Nick Schmaltz (Verona, Wis.) and Joey Dudek (Auburn, N.H.) scored first-period power-play goals to help Team USA open a 2-0 lead. Schmaltz gathered a puck along the left wall and fired a low shot past Team Russia goaltender Sergej Korobov 11:15 into the game. Then, just 86 seconds later, Dudek picked up a loose puck and found the back of the net to double the U.S. lead.
After two Team Russia goals — one midway through the second period and one early in the third — Jack Dougherty (Cottage Grove, Minn.) and Joseph Snively (Harndon, Va.) responded with third-period tallies to put Team USA in front for good. Dougherty scored the third U.S. power-play goal of the contest when he put a hard shot on net from the point 6:19 into the final period. Snively finished the scoring with a goal three minutes later.
The U.S. Under-18 Select Team concludes pool play against Slovakia at 11:30 a.m. ET tomorrow.
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