ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Jeremy Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.) scored two goals and added two assists as the U.S. National Under-18 Team skated past the Youngstown Phantoms, 6-3, here tonight at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

Team USA opened the scoring 2:45 into the first frame off the stick of Luke Kunin (Chesterfield, Mo.). Earning assists on the play were Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.) and Bracco. The U.S. staked a two-goal lead at 6:13 when Bracco beat Phantoms netminder Chris Birdsall. Tkachuk made a move around a sprawled out defender and found Bracco for the tally. Casey Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) collected the secondary helper. Youngstown sliced its deficit in half at 14:18, but the U18s still held a 2-1 edge heading into the locker room after 20 minutes.

The Phantoms notched the lone marker of the second stanza, tying the game, before a goal-filled third period settled the difference.

Tage Thompson (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) snapped the tie at 9:34 of the final frame. Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Jordan Greenway (Potsdam, N.Y.) registered assists. Just over one minute later, Youngstown countered with a power-play score. The back-and-forth battle continued as Charles McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y.) potted a power-play marker of his own. Matthews and Greenway teamed up once again to help set up the play. Brendan Warren (Carleton, Mich.) scored four minutes later and Bracco added an empty-net tally to secure the win, 6-3, for Team USA.

Michael Lackey (Washington, D.C.) made the start in net for the U.S. and kicked out 30 shots in the win, while Youngstown's Birdsall was tested 28 times, making 23 saves in the loss.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team returns to collegiate action next week when Team USA travels east. The U.S. will face No. 4-ranked Providence College on Thursday (Oct. 16) before visiting No. 15-ranked Boston University on Saturday (Oct. 18). Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Youngstown outshot Team USA, 33-29 ... The U.S. went 1-2 on the power play, while the Phantoms were 1-3 ... Jeremy Bracco recorded his sixth multi-point game this season. The forward has points in four straight and in nine of 10 contests overall this season ... Matthew Tkachuk is riding an eight-game point streak (8-5) dating back to Sept. 13. The forward has points in nine of 10 games ... Auston Matthews registered his fourth multi-point game and also has points in nine of 10 games ... Jordan Greenway has at least one assist in four straight games and five total in that span ... Tage Thompson has scored in back-to-back games ... The game was delayed at 14:23 of the second period due to glass breaking in the end zone.

1. Jeremy Bracco, Team USA

2. Matthew Tkachuk, Team USA

3. Maxim Letunov, Youngstown