CRIMMITSCHAU, GERMANY – The International Ice Hockey Federation’s U-18 (under the age of 18) World Championship Tournament concluded today at Crimmitschau Arena with the U.S. National Under-18 Team winning a third straight gold medal. They grabbed an exciting come from behind 4-3 win in sudden death overtime over Sweden. These same teams also played in last year’s U-18 final. The U.S. advanced to the Championship match with a 5-4 overtime win over Canada Saturday evening. In other action earlier today Russia claimed the Bronze Medal with a 6-4 win over Canada. Sweden had bested Russia 3-1 in the other semi-final game also played Saturday.
Tonight the Americans staged a furious third period rally scoring twice to tie the game at 3-3. The tying goal came in the last 90 seconds of regulation time. Reid Boucher of Grand Ledge Michigan (committed to Michigan State University) rallied the US to send the game into overtime with 1:29 left in regulation. The forward’s goal was unassisted. Boucher had two goals in the 5-4 semi-final win over Canada.
This overtime game winner came from defenseman Connor Murphy (committed to Miami University) out of Dublin, Ohio who hammered home the winning goal on a setup from another defenseman Robbie Russo (committed to University of Notre Dame) of Westmont, IL. Murphy’s slap shot from the point hit the crossbar and caromed into the net stunning a crowd of 5,007 and sending the U.S. team onto the ice for a celebration.
The gold medal goal came about six minutes into the four on four sudden death extra stanza. The winning goal was Murphy’s second of the game. Russo (1-g, 2-a) and Murphy (2-d, 1-a) each registered three points in the match. The first U.S. goal came from Jacob Trouba of Rochester, Michigan who tied the game 1-1 in the first period after Sweden took an early first period lead.
Goaltender John Gibson of Pittsburgh outdueled his Swedish counterpart Niklas Lundstrom. Gibson stopped 28 of 31 shots on goal while Lundstrom faced 41 shots in absorbing the loss. Sweden built a 3-1 lead going into the third period on goals by Filip Forsberg, Gustav Bjorklund and Albin Blomkvist but couldn’t score again despite launching nine shots on Gibson in the third period. The U.S. held the Swedes to just one shot in overtime. Gibson was selected as the best goalie in the tournament.
The U.S. National Under-18 Team is sponsored by USA Hockey and is a part of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Mich. The NTDP brings together some of the best young hockey players in the nation to play a 50-plus game schedule that includes participation in the regular season in the Tier One United States Hockey League. The USHL is the only Tier One junior hockey league in the U.S.
The U-18 squad also plays NCAA collegiate squads and represents the USA in three international competitions each year. Team members come from across the country to live, train and attend school in the Ann Arbor area while part of the U-18 team. Most of the players eventually move on to play NCAA hockey, and play professionally.
Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com
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