August 15, 2009

BRECLAV, Czech Republic- The U.S. Under-18 Select Team fell to Sweden, 9-2, in the third-place game at the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament here today. Team USA finished the tournament in fourth place with a 1-1-0-2 record and secured its best finish since claiming second in the 2006 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka.

"We're obviously extremely disappointed in the outcome with a game that meant so much for all of us," said Eric Rud, head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team. "Sweden played outstanding today, and the better team definitely won."

Sweden scored the game's opening goal less than 1:30 into the game and added another tally in the first period to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Sweden added two more goals in the first seven minutes of the second period to take a 4-0 advantage.

Connor Brickley (Everett, Mass.) netted Team USA's first goal on the power-play at 9:50 of the second period. Austin Watson (Ypsilanti, Mich.) sent a pass to Kevin Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) who pulled up at the top of the circle and fired a cross-ice pass to Brickley that he sent past the Swedish goaltender.

After Sweden took a 6-1 advantage midway through the second period, Kyle Rau (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who was named Team USA's player of the game, scored from his back at 15:56 of the second period to close the gap, 6-2. Nick Bjugstad (Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Ben Marshall (Grant, Minn.) also picked up assists on the play.

Sweden scored once more in the second period and twice in the final frame to account for the 9-2 final.

Both U.S. netminders Cody Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Zane Gothberg (Thief River Falls, Minn.) saw action in the game.

NOTES: The 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament features teams from Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States ... The U.S. roster includes 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders ... The 21 players on the U.S. roster represent eight states ... Six members of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team played in domestic junior leagues in 2008-09, including four in the United States Hockey League and one each from the North American Hockey League and the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League ... Team USA Head Coach Eric Rud is the assistant men's ice hockey coach at St. Cloud State University. He was the head coach of the 2008 U.S. Under-17 Select Team ... Danton Cole, head men's ice hockey coach at University of Alabama-Huntsville, is the team's assistant coach ... Both Rud and Cole are USA Hockey Level 4 certified coaches ... The U.S. roster was selected from the 2009 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp, which provides top young players with concentrated on- and off-ice training and instruction as well as the opportunity to compete at a national level against other players from their age group ... For Team USA's roster click here.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period - Scoring: 1, SWE, Pettersson (Berglind), 1:23; 2, SWE, Sundstrom (unassisted), 13:44.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, SWE, Landeskog (Rensfeldt, Larsson), 2:47 (pp); 4, SWE, Nementh (Nordstrom, Ottosson), 6:46; 5, USA, Brickle (Hayes, Watson) (pp), 9:50; 7, SWE, Gunnarsson (Rensfeldt), 12:37 ; 8, SWE, Thorell (Ottosson), 15:05 ; 9, USA, Rau (Bjugstad, Marshall), 15:56.

Third Period - Scoring: 10, SWE, Thorell (Larsson, Brodin), 2:08; 11, SWE, Larsson (Landeskog), 10:04.

NOTE: Individual penalties were not known at time of release.

Power Play: SWE 1-13; USA 1-12
Penalties: SWE 15-103; USA 15-95