After Team USA's Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Dubuque's Kevin Reidler combined to stop the first 13 shots of the opening period, U17 forward Horcoff  broke the ice at 12:30 of the opening frame. Off of help from Landon Hafele (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Conrad Fondrk (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Horcoff lifted a wrister from the left circle for a 1-0 USA lead. 

Dubuque brought the game back to even 2:03 into the middle frame. Juraj Pekarcik chipped the puck up to Michael Barron, who knocked it around a USA defender and got in unabated to Quinlan, where he chipped it over the goalie's shoulder to make it a 1-1 game. 

The Fighting Saints took the lead before the close of the second after Jayden Jubenvill fired a one-timer from the top of the right circle off a feed from NTDP alum Seamus Powell.

Powell earned his second assist of the night, setting up the team's unrelated other Powell, Nigel, less than a minute into the final frame of regulation. Just over a minute later, Chase LaPinta scored unassisted to stretch the lead to 4-1 in favor of Dubuque. 

Team USA pulled Quinlan late for an extra attacker and connected with 1:01 left in regulation as McKinney pulled the team within two. Off of assists from Maceo Phillips (Wayzata, Minn.) and Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.), McKinney laced a shot from the goal-line extended up and over the shoulder of Reidler for his 10th goal of the season.