USHL News

November 12, 2007

USA Takes Third At World Junior A Challenge

Nick Dineen (Omaha, Neb.) scored two of the six third-period goals for the U.S. Junior Select Team as it came from behind to defeat Russia, 9-6, and claim third place at the 2007 World Junior A Challenge here today. Team USA finished the tournament with a 3-1-0-0 record.

"Our guys played extremely hard today," said P.K. O'Handley, head coach of Team USA. "This was a wild game, but the team persevered and handled themselves well. While we wanted first place, we have nothing to hang our heads about. We're very proud of what we accomplished."

Despite out shooting Russia 12-6 in the opening frame, the U.S. was unable to muster a goal. Russia received tallies from Anton Larazev and Evgeny Grachev for a 2-0 advantage heading into the second period.

Team USA forward Nico Sacchetti (Virginia, Minn.) cut the deficit in half at 5:45 of the second stanza with a shot from between the faceoff circles. Russia doubled its lead once again after Nikita Filatov beat netminder Brady Hjelle (International Falls, Minn.) on a breakaway at 8:28. Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) answered back for Team USA with a backhand shot that beat netminder Danila Alistratov to make it a 3-2 score. Team USA tied the game for the first time after Sacchetti tallied his second goal of the afternoon at 11:21.

After Sacchetti's second goal, Russia pulled Alistratov in favor of Alexander Pechurskiy. Pavel Chernov put Russia back on top, 4-3, at 14:58. Dmitri Kugryshev gave Russia another two-goal advantage when he scored on the power play with just :08 left in the middle frame.

Dineen opened the scoring in the third period at 4:50 to bring the U.S. back within one goal after he redirected Seth Helgeson's (Faribault, Minn.) pass under Pechurskiy. Just 1:24 later, Drew LeBlanc (Hermantown, Minn.) evened the score, 5-5, when he fired a wrist shot past Pechurskiy from the left faceoff dot. Russia regained the lead at 7:32 when Viatcheslav Voinov scored with a two-man advantage.

Tim Hall (Sewickley, Pa.) knotted things up, 6-6, after he took Blake Kessel's (Verona, Wis.) pass, skated around a Russian defenseman and fired a shot into the back of the net at 14:50. Hall's tally began a four-goal outburst from the U.S. in the final 5:10 of the game.

Team USA took its first lead of the day at the 17-minute mark of the final frame. Barry Almeida (Springfield, Mass.) intercepted a pass, fed the puck to Dineen, who shot it past Pechurskiy from the center slot to put Team USA ahead, 7-6. Nick Larson (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Almeida each added a goal in the closing minutes of the game to account for the 9-6 final.

NOTES: Nico Sacchetti was named U.S. Player of the Game...Team USA out shot Russia by a 34-25 margin...Barry Almeida led the U.S. Junior Select Team with nine points (3-6) in the tournament ...Blake Kessel led all U.S. defensemen with seven points (2-5).

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period - Scoring: 1, RUS, Lazarev (Grachev, Kugryshev), 2:39; 2, RUS, Grachev (Chernov), 15:07. Penalties: USA, Kieffer (high sticking), 2:54; USA, Dineen (cross-checking), 8:02; RUS, Lukin (slashing), 17:34; RUS, Chudinov (high sticking), 17:53.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, Sacchetti (Almeida), 5:45; 4, RUS, Filatov (Kostromitin), 8:28; 5, USA, Hayes (Lee), 9:49; 6, USA, Sacchetti (Almeida, Dineen), 11:21; 7, RUS, Chernov (Petrov, Ostapchuk), 14:58; 8, RUS, Kugryshev (Chudinov, Loktionov), 19:52 (pp). Penalties: RUS, Chudinov (slashing), 3:34; USA, Nicastro (tripping), 18:41.

Third Period - Scoring: 9, Dineen (Blood, Almeida), 4:50 (pp); 10, USA, LeBlanc (Connolly), 6:14; 11, RUS, Voinov (Chudinov, Kugryshev), 7:32 (5x3 pp); 12, USA, Hall (Connolly, Kessel), 14:50; 13, USA, Dineen (Sacchetti, Almeida), 17:00; 14, USA, Larson (Hayes, LeBlanc), 18:38; 15, USA, Almeida (Blood), 19:04. Penalties: RUS, Filatov (slashing), :32; RUS, Filatov (holding), 3:41; USA, Blood (holding), 7:20; USA, Nicastro (checking from behind), 7:20; USA, Nicastro (misconduct), 7:20; RUS, Fisenko (hooking), 10:50.