Photo by Rena Laverty
PLYMOUTH, Mich. - Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) collected his 13th and 14th goals of the season for the U.S. National Under-17 Team, but Team USA fell to the Muskegon Lumberjacks by a 6-3 final Sunday afternoon at USA Hockey Arena.
Team USA looked primed to go into the first break of a goalless game, doubling up the Lumberjacks in shots by a 16-8 margin late in the period, but Muskegon got on the board with a flurry of shots as 10 seconds remained in the opening period. Wilson Dahlheimer netted the put-back goal to buy the visitors a lead after 20 minutes.
Highlights
The U17s had two prime chances to get on the board in the first. From down low, Drew Schock (Green Bay, Wis.) found a cutting Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) down the slot, but his attempt was stoned by the left pad of Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev to keep the game at zeros less than five minutes in.
USA netminder Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) made an excellent glove save on Matvei Gridin, the league's fourth-leading scorer, from the slot to again keep the scoresheet clean near the midway mark of the first. Quinlan finished the period with nine total saves.
Gridin added his name to the goal column as he converted on a 5-on-3 from the left circle less than two minutes into the second frame.
Murtagh put the U17s on the board with a great individual effort at 4:41 of the second. Carter Amico (Westbrook, Maine) rimmed the puck around the boards to Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.), who dropped it off for Murtagh. He collected, drove the crease without an attempt, spun and fired top-corner from the bottom of the right circle for his 13th goal of the season.
Team USA brought the game back to even with a Conrad Fondrk (White Bear Lake, Minn.) second-chance score before the halfway mark of the game. On the power play, McKinney found Jacob Kvasnicka (Plymouth, Minn.) in front of the cage. He tried to create space and got the initial shot off which was padded away, but the puck went right to Fondrk who tied the game.
After Muskegon quickly retook the lead just 26 seconds later, Murtagh potted his second of the afternoon with a highlight-reel score to tie the game once more. From below the goalline, LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) backhanded a no-look pass to Moore, who drew the defense and found Murtagh back-door for the open net.
Nearing the end of a major power play, Muskegon took its third lead of the night off a Ty Henricks tally 2:41 into the final period of regulation and Gridin made it a two-goal game with his second of the game with 9:05 to play.
Ethan Whitcomb added a power-play tally for the game's 6-3 final.
Quinlan finished with 11 saves while Joey Slavick (Westland, Mich.) added 13 in the second half of the contest.
The U17s are back at USA Hockey Arena this Saturday as they host the Lincoln Stars. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and tickets are available at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the USA Hockey Arena box office at 734-453-8400.
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