TEMPE, Ariz. - Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) collected a goal and an assist each and Joey Slavick (Westland, Mich.) made a season-high 37 saves, but the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell just short to Arizona State in a 4-3 final Saturday afternoon at Mullett Arena. 

Late in the first, Sun Devils forward Dylan Jackson converted on a wraparound attempt to knot the score at one goal apiece, but Gallant connected with under a minute to play to put the U18s ahead 2-1 after 20 minutes. McKinney drove the net for the initial shot and was turned aside, but Gallant followed up for the second-chance, finishing top shelf to give him goals in four straight games.

Slavick was one of Team USA's best players in the middle frame as he turned aside the first 13 shots he saw before Ty Jackson, brother of Dylan, beat Slavick off a tic-tac-toe sequence from the right circle to even the game at two goals aside. 

Slavick stood on his head as he made 30 stops combined over the first two periods of action. 

Arizona State took its first lead of the afternoon 2:28 into the final period as Benji Eckerle banged home a second-chance opportunity to make it a 3-2 contest. 

With 2:59 to play in regulation, Bennett Schimek extended the ASU lead to two as he kept banging at a puck in the crease and finally got it past Slavick. 

Less than 30 seconds later, Will Belle (Minnetonka, Minn.) brought the U18s back within a score with an absolute laser from the point.

Team USA pulled Slavick for an extra attacker and created pressure in the offensive zone, but the final buzzer sounded without another score for the 4-3 final.

Slavick finished his afternoon with 37 stops, a season high for the Michigan native and one off his career-high set nearly one year ago on December 29, 2023 in Green Bay. 

The U18s and Sun Devils go for the rematch tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop is once again set for 3:00 p.m. ET from Mullett Arena and the game will stream live on NCHC.tv.