Nazar again lit the lamp when his shot from close range ricocheted off a Jets defender and into the net to cut Janesville’s lead to a goal with 14:14 remaining in the middle frame. 

Jimmy Snuggerud (Chaska, Minn.) joined in the scoring at the 12:57 mark of the period sneaking a shot from behind the net off Millward to knot the game up at three goals apiece. 

The Jets responded seconds later to take a 4-3 advantage over the U.S. into the second intermission. 

Five minutes into the final stanza, Rutger McGroarty (Lincoln, Neb.) nearly evened the score on an excellent 1-on-1 chance with Millward but his shot was denied by the netminder. 

Snuggerud once again evened the score for the U.S., tapping in a pass from Marek Hejduk (Parker, Colo.) at the crease to make it a 4-4 game. 

With time winding down in the third period, Snuggerud found Cooley wide open at the offensive blue line. Cooley fired the puck off the pad of Millward then put away his own rebound to lift the U.S. 

Tyler Muszelik (Long Valley, N.J.) earned the win in goal for the U.S., stopping 27 shots.

The U17s square off against the Jets Saturday in the final contest of the four-game set between the two teams. Puck drop is slated for 3 p.m. ET and the game can be streamed live on HockeyTV.