The collegian Saints got off to a 2-0 start to open the game. St. Lawrence took advantage of a two-minute, 5-on-3 power play to score first as Felikss Gavars sniped one home from the left circle. Greg Lapointe made it a pair after he was the recipient of a nice low-to-high passing sequence near the midway mark of the first. 

Team USA got on the board late in the first after an impressive defensive play from Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.). He picked off a Saints pass in the defensive zone, crashed to the puck and sent a beautiful pass to Kamil Bednarik (Chicago, Ill.) in the slot. He one-touched it to Christian Humphreys (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who sent it into the empty net to cut the lead in half. 

At 4:19 of the second, Gavers netted his second man-up goal of the evening, this time converting from the right circle to give the Saints a two-goal lead again. 

The answer came from Eiserman on the power play, stationed in his office at the right circle for a one-timer. Logan Hensler (Woodbury, Minn.) and James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.) set up Eiserman's 26th score of the season.

After Logan Ritchie made it 4-2 with a quick snapshot, Vansaghi brought the U18s back to within a score before the close of the second period. He intercepted a Saints defensive-zone pass, drove to the net and popped his shot in the top corner to make it a one-goal game once more. 

Less than five minutes into the third, Vansaghi made it a multi-goal game, his first of the season, to bring the score back to even. He took a Sam Laurila (Moorhead, Minn.) pass down the left wing, broke towards center ice and deposited his wrister in the back of the net.