PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Sean Dhooghe (Aurora, Ill.) and Vanya Lodnia (Novi, Mich.) each tallied two markers as the U.S. National Under-17 Team defeated Sweden, 5-2, here tonight at USA Hockey Arena. USA improves to 2-0-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and will face Russia tomorrow in a contest that will determine the 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament champion.
Sweden opened the scoring just 3:16 into the first frame but the U.S. responded just 35 seconds later when Lodnia snapped a shot past Sweden’s Olle Eriksson Ek, knotting the game at one. Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa.) and Phil Kemp (Greenwich, Conn.) assisted on the play. Near the midway point of the period, Dhooghe chipped a shot from the bottom of the left circle for the go-ahead marker to close the period 2-1 in USA’s favor. Nate Knoepke (Farmington, Minn.) and Scott Reedy (Prior Lake, Minn.) collected helpers.
At 2:28 of the middle period, Lodnia sent his second score of the game top shelf, allowing the United States to carry a 3-1 lead into the third stanza. Barratt registered his second assist on Lodnia’s goal. U.S. goalie Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Mich.) stopped all 10 Swedish shots in the second period to help preserve the advantage heading into the final frame.
Dhooghe pushed the USA lead to three goals when he scored at 5:31. Reedy recorded his second helper on the score. A shorthanded marker by Sweden cut the U.S. lead in half, but Reedy sealed the victory with a goal, his third point of the night, in the closing minutes of the contest for the 5-2 final score. Grant Mismash (Edina, Minn.) collected the lone assist.
St. Cyr stopped 19 total shots in the win for Team USA, while Eriksson Ek made 41 saves in the loss for Sweden.
The U.S. National Under-17 Team closes tournament play at 7 p.m. ET tomorrow against Russia. The contest will decide the 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament champion. The game will stream live on FASTHockey.com.
NOTES: The United States outshot Sweden, 46-21 … Team USA went 0-5 on the power play while Finland went 0-6 … The U.S. roster is composed of 20 members from the 2015-16 U.S. National Under-17 Team, part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program … Defenseman Reilly Walsh (Proctor Academy) and forward Vanya Lodnia (Erie Otters) are additions to the lineup … For a complete roster click here … Team USA is competing against teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden in the round-robin tournament … Team USA finished second in last year’s tournament held in Dmitrov, Russia … Follow @USAHockeyNTDP and @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for tournament updates and join the conversation on social media by using the #5NationsU17 tag.
Team USA Schedule | 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament
Feb. 9-13 | USA Hockey Arena | Plymouth, Michigan
Date Game Time (ET) / Result
Sat., Feb. 6 Czech Republic* W, 4-2
Tues., Feb. 9 Czech Republic L, 3-4 (OT)
Wed., Feb. 10 Finland W, 5-2
Fri., Feb. 12 Sweden W, 5-2
Sat., Feb. 13 Russia 7:00 p.m.
*Pre-tournament game
