PARDUBICE, Czech Republic - Pat Lee (Schaumburg, Ill.) notched a hat trick and Travis Noe (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) had five points to help the U.S. National Inline Team take down Sweden, 12-5, to earn the bronze medal at the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation Inline Hockey World Championship here today.
Matt White (Whittier, Calif.) and Noe scored in the first 6:01 of action to help the U.S. build an early 2-0 lead. Sweden managed to knot the score late in the opening quarter, but Greg Thompson (Bayport, N.Y.) connected for a shorthanded marker at 11:41 to give Team USA a 3-2 edge entering the second frame.
Sweden buried a pair of quick goals to begin the second stanza and grab a 4-3 lead, but a three-goal outburst that included tallies by Noe, Raf Rodriguez (Oceanside, Calif.) and Lee allowed the United States to hold a 6-4 advantage at halftime.
Third-quarter goals by Rodriguez and Lee bookended a Team Sweden marker to boost the U.S. lead to 8-5 entering the final frame.
Tyler Spezia (Clinton Township, Mich.) scored twice and John Siemer (Baldwin Park, Calif.) and Lee each notched a single tally in the fourth quarter to clinch a 12-5 win for Team USA.
Defenseman Derrick Burnett (Corona, Calif.) collected three assists in the contest, and 11 U.S. players -- including goaltender Jerry Kuhn (Southgate, Mich.) -- had at least one point.
Kuhn, who started his sixth game of the tournament, turned in a 15-save effort.