FARGO, N.D. - The U.S. National Under-18 Team used 26 saves from Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) and goals from five different players to take down the Fargo Force, 5-2, to earn a weekend split Saturday night at Scheels Arena. 

USA defenseman Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.) answered less than a minute later off an offensive-zone draw. LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) won the faceoff and Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) pushed it back to Barnett, who put it by a screened Alan Lendak to even the score. 

The U18s quickly got another goal from a blueliner, as Maceo Phillips (Wayzata, Minn.) went coast-to-coast down the left wing and flipped his wrister over the blocker of Lendak from the top of the right circle. 

Before the close of the period, Will Horcoff (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) doubled the U.S. lead to 3-1. After taking a drop-pass from Moore, Horcoff snapped a quick wrister past a screened Lendak for his third score of the season. 

In the middle 20 minutes, the shots were tied at nine apiece from each side, but neither side could get one past the opposing netminder. USA's Quinlan made all nine stops in the frame to give him a two-period total of 18 saves. 

Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) tapped in a rebound chance on the doorstep at 5:54 of the third to extend the U18 lead to 4-1. Barnett and Mooney collected helpers on the score, giving them both multi-point efforts. 

With just over five minutes to play in regulation, Fargo's Masun Fleece snuck one far-side past Quinlan to bring the Force back within a pair of scores. 

Will Belle (Minnetonka, Minn.) found an empty net with 38 seconds to play for the 5-2 final. Barnett picked up an assist, his third point of the night to tie a career high. 

Quinlan finished his night with 26 saves to pick up his first USHL victory of the season. 

The U18s are back on the ice next weekend as they enter the 2024-25 Kroger College Series to square off with Notre Dame and Western Michigan. They begin the weekend set Friday night in South Bend, Indiana, to take on the Fighting Irish. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Compton Family Ice Arena.