After 59-plus minutes of scoreless hockey, McKinney started the game-winning score by winning a draw in the U.S. defensive end. Charlie Trethewey (Woodbine, Md.) collected and fed McKinney in the neutral zone. He took it to the rack, dangled by a Cedar Rapids defenseman and flipped his shot over the shoulder of reigning USHL Goaltender of the Week AJ Reyelts for the game-winning score, McKinney's fifth goal of the season. 

Neither side could gain much in the offensive zone in a goalless opening frame that saw the RoughRiders outshoot Team USA by a 7-2 margin. 

The goalies remained perfect in the second to keep the game scoreless after 40 minutes, but the chances picked up on both ends. Team USA earned a 13-10 shot advantage with two apiece from four different skaters. 

Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Jake Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) both had partial breakaways near the middle of the frame, but neither could get good wood on shots that trickled in towards Reyelts. Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) had a nice look on a U.S. power play, but his attempt from the bottom of the right circle rang off the post and out. 

After McKinney finally broke through for the game's first score, Stuart followed with an empty-netter to give the U18s a 2-0 victory.

Slavick picked up his second blank sheet of the season and his third overall win of the year. 

The two sides square off again tomorrow night for Team USA's annual Teddy Bear Toss. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and tickets are available at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the box office at 734-453-8400.