Under-18 Team Drops 4-3 Decision to Indiana in Overtime

USA Hockey National Team Development Program

Under-18 Team Drops 4-3 Decision to Indiana in Overtime

By USA Hockey, 12/18/12, 10:30PM EST

Team USA celebrates its first goal of the game against Indiana. Photo by Tom Sorensen.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) had one goal and added an assist, while Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, Minn.) collected two helpers, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team dropped a 4-3 decision to the Indiana Ice at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube on Dec. 18, 2012. Team USA picked up one point in the United States Hockey League standings in the overtime loss.

Team USA struck first when Blake Christensen (Rochester Hills, Mich.) broke down the right side of the zone, fending off Ice defenders. Christensen found a streaking Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) in front of the net who potted the goal at 5:44 of the opening frame. Indiana struck back, converting on a turnover at center ice. Compher reclaimed the U.S. lead when he jumped on a loose puck and scored on a breakaway at 17:09. Ausmus and Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J.) registered assists on the play.

J.T. Compher scores on Indiana netminder Anderson Snair. Photo by Tom Sorensen.

The back and forth battle continued into the second as Indiana tied the game at 6:51 off a wrap-around goal. Ice netminder Anderson Snair kept Team USA off the board in the middle frame and the teams entered second intermission knotted at two.

Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.) tipped an Ausmus shot into the back of the net at 1:24 of the third period. The tally, also assisted on by Compher, gave the U.S. its one-goal advantage back. Late in the third, the Ice answered and tied the game with a quick shot that got past Team USA's Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.). Time expired on regulation tied, 3-3.

It took only one shot by Indiana to claim victory in overtime. The U.S. earned a point in the shootout loss, while the Ice earned the full two points. Miska turned aside 13 shots for Team USA, while Snair made 29 saves for the Ice.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team will next hit the road for a two-game series against the Youngstown Phantoms this weekend (Dec. 21-22). Both games will be held at the Covelli Center with start times of 7:15 p.m. EST.