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Photo by Ronald Hansel
TABOR, Czechia - Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.) scored two goals and recorded five total points to help lead the U.S. National Under-18 Team to a 6-1 win over Czechia at the U18 Five Nations Saturday evening.
Team USA netminder Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) was stout in the game's opening minutes, including a huge 2-on-1 one-timer stop on a blast from Czechia forward Dominik Pavlik. Quinlan followed that up by denying Max Psenicka on an odd-man rush while the hosts were on an early power play.
The U.S. took advantage of the stops to go down and get the game's first tally at 7:28 of the first. Andrew O'Neill (Fargo, N.D.) floated a pass into space to spur Kvasnicka on a 2-on-1. He found Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) on the rush, who quickly returned the puck to Kvasnicka for a tap-in score.
With 8:51 to play in the first, Czechia tied the game on a David Krcal wrister off an odd-man rush down the right wing.
Just 70 seconds into the middle frame, Team USA regained the lead off solid cycle action below the net. Kvasnicka found Conrad Fondrk (White Bear Lake, Minn.) behind the cage, where he went for the wraparound attempt. The puck was kicked right to Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) in the slot, who quickly flipped it in for a 2-1 lead.
A little more than a minute later, Moore was at it again to extend the Team USA margin. Fondrk intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and sent Moore in alone. He went with a quick deke to the backhand and pushed the puck by Michal Orsulak for his third score in three games this tournament.
The U.S. grabbed its first three-goal lead of the Five Nations as Landon Hafele (Fairbanks, Alaska) converted off a 2-on-1 rush at 6:50 of the second. Donny Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.) quickly cleared the defensive zone and sent the rubber up to Matthew Lansing (Tonawanda, N.Y.) running the left lane. He fed Hafele cross-crease who made no mistake to make it a 4-1 contest.
Team USA added on at 5:15 of the third when Charlie Trethewey (Woodbine, Md.) got loose on a breakaway and finished past the left pad on the netminder. Kvasnicka floated a perfect saucer pass to lead the defenseman in unabated to pick up the lone helper on the 5-1 score.
With 4:25 to play in regulation, Czechia's Krcal was awarded a penalty shot but Quinlan stoned the attempt with his right pad.
Kvasnicka added his second goal, and third point of the night, with eight seconds to play for the 6-1 final.
Quinlan was tremendous in net and picked up 33 saves on the evening to earn his second win in as many starts in Czechia.
Team USA wraps up Five Nations play tomorrow morning against Switzerland. Puck drop is set for 6:00 a.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. local and the game will stream live on CzechIceHockey.tv.