ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The U.S. National Under-18 Team battled back from down a pair of goals to take a lead, but fell in overtime to the University of Michigan Wolverines by a 4-3 final Wednesday evening at Yost Ice Arena. Frank Nazar (Mount Clemens, Mich.), a University of Michigan commit, scored a pair of goals to lead Team USA. 

Michigan doubled its advantage on a goal from all former NTDPers. Dylan Duke brought the puck into the offensive zone and dished to Jacob Truscott. The defenseman went cross-ice where he found Johnny Beecher for a one-timer to make it a 2-0 game.

Nazar, playing in his future rink, brought the U18s within a score with less than a minute left in the first period. Off a Michigan turnover, Isaac Howard (Hudson, Wis.) drove the left wing and went toward the net. After a quick stick deke, he left it for Nazar who popped his shot over the shoulder of Michigan goalie, Erik Portillo, to make it a 2-1 contest after 20 minutes. 

Team USA evened the game with the lone goal of the second period, a 5-on-3 power-play marker from Howard at 14:46. Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa.) dangled the Wolverine defense before dropping a quick pass to Rutger McGroarty (Lincoln, Neb.) at the right circle. He hesitated with the puck to draw the goalie before sliding a perfect back-door pass to Howard who just had to tap it in to tie the game at 2-2. 

Team USA took its first lead of the evening less than a minute into the third courtesy of Nazar's second of the evening. Cam Lund (Bridgewater, Mass.), playing in his first game for the NTDP, led a breakout and found Howard with speed into the offensive zone. He snuck his pass behind an outstretched Wolverine defender and right onto the blade of Nazar, who slid his shot through the five hole of Jack Leavy for a 3-2 U18s lead. 

Jack Summers tied the game with a one-timer from the left circle on a second-chance opportunity with 3:08 to play in regulation to force overtime. 

After a collision took a pair of U18s out of the play in the 3-on-3 extra session, Jimmy Lambert flipped a shot in the top corner to give Michigan the win with a 4-3 final. 

Dylan Silverstein (Calabasas, Calif.) went the distance for the U18s in net as he turned aside 34 of 38 Michigan attempts. One of his best came in the middle of the second on a Nick Granowicz attempt off a 2-on-1 to keep Team USA within a score at the time. 

The U18s return home to host the Muskegon Lumberjacks Friday night at USA Hockey Arena at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for the game at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the USA Hockey Arena box office at 734-453-6400 x396.