INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) scored three goals and added an assist, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team topped the Indiana Ice, 5-2, in the first of two games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 8, 2013.

Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) opened scoring at 13:11 of the first frame. Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) and Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J.) collected assists on the play. Louis scored his first of the game on the power play. The tally at 18:14 was assisted on by J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.).

Indiana cut the U.S. lead in half at 7:36 of the second stanza. Team USA regained its two-goal lead off the stick of Louis at 10:55. Steven Santini (Mahopac, N.Y.) and Sean Malone (West Newbury, N.Y.) earned the helpers. Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif.) turned aside an Ice penalty shot at 19:41 and 10 shots total in the frame.

The Ice notched one goal closer at 5:53 of the third period. Louis completed the hat trick at 13:43 to put Team USA up, 4-2. Indiana pulled its netminder late in the stanza, but the gamble did not pay off as John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) sealed the U.S. victory with an empty-net tally. Louis earned his fourth point of the night with an assist, while Compher registered his third helper on the score.

Demko made 25 saves in the win for the U18s, while Dalton Izyk turned aside 31 shots in the loss for Indiana.

The following night (March 9), Compher accumulated four points (2-2) as Team USA outdueled the Ice, 8-5, to take the weekend series. With the win, the U18s record against United States Hockey League opponents improved to 16-5-2 (W-L-OTL).

Michael McCarron (Macomb, Mich.) put the U.S. on the board 1:23 into the first frame. Eichel earned the lone assist. Indiana answered 11 seconds later to tie the game. Hayden responded at 3:34 off of passes by Louis and Compher. Team USA took a two-goal lead at 8:27 when McCarron potted his second of the contest. Evan Allen (Sterling Height, Mich.) and Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) collected assists. The back and forth continued as the Ice put the puck in the net at 18:37. Fourteen seconds later, Compher buried a Louis pass into the net to give the U.S. a 4-2 advantage.

Hayden put the puck past Dalton Izyk, newly inserted after Anderson Snair was removed after the first, at 4:21 of the second stanza for Team USA's fifth goal on the night. Compher and Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, Minn.) assisted. Indiana chased starting netminder Blake Weyrick (Ojai, Calif.) after its third goal at 5:48. The Ice continued its comeback bid, netting back-to-back goals on Demko at the 11:00 and 18:14 marks.

Team USA scored two goals in the third to pull away from Indiana, 7-5. Louis and Dawson Cook (Cadillac, Mich.) were the goal scorers. Butcher assisted on Louis' tally, while Malone helped on Cook's score. The Ice pulled Izyk in the hopes of finding a goal to narrow the U.S. lead. After the U18s were whistled for a penalty, Compher scored a short-handed tally into the empty net to claim a 8-5 win.

Weyrick and Demko combined for 15 saves in the victory for the U.S., while Anderson Snair and Izyk made 42 saves in the loss for Indiana.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team will next face the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Thursday, March 15. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

NOTES: Defenseman Will Butcher registered a +7 rating on Saturday, March 9, versus Indiana. The rating ties a USHL Tier 1 era (2002-present) record that was set earlier this season by Jeff Taylor of the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

1st Star
Under-18 Team
Anthony Louis, forward (3 goals, 1 assist)

2nd Star
Under-18 Team
J.T. Compher, forward (3 assists)

3rd Star
Under-18 Team
Tyler Motte, forward (1 goal)

1st Star
Indiana Ice
M. Plotnikov, forward (3 goals, 1 assist)

2nd Star
Under-18 Team
J.T. Compher, forward (2 goals, 2 assists)

3rd Star
Under-18 Team
Michael McCarron, forward (2 goals)