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U18s Fall in Youngstown, 4-2

By USA Hockey's NTDP, 01/25/25, 8:45PM EST

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U18s play next at Five Nations in Sweden

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio Jake Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) scored for the third time in the past four games, but it wasn't enough as the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell to the Youngstown Phantoms, 4-2, Saturday night at the Covelli Centre. 

The U.S. got out in front on a power-play marker from Charlie Trethewey (Woodbine, Md.) at 7:27 of the first. Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) worked the puck up to Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) at the right point. Trethewey, normally on the right side of the power-play formation, was at the left circle where McKinney found him. The defenseman took the pass and rifled his elite wrister in for a 1-0 U18 lead. 

Box Score

Youngstown tied it later in the period as Northville, Mich., native Jack Willson snuck in alone and potted from the slot to net the Phantoms' 2025 Teddy Bear Toss goal.

The U18s added another power-play tally late in the period as Stuart was the recipient of a gorgeous passing sequence off the rush. Donny Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.) dropped it for LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) to enter the zone. He quickly shifted over to Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.) on the right wing who fired a picture perfect back-door pass that Stuart made no mistake on for a 2-1 lead. 

With just over a minute to play in the first, Phantoms forward Jamison Sluys somehow found the back of the net off a severe-angle shot on the red line to make it an even contest after 20 minutes. 

After a high-event second period that appeared as it would end without a change to the score, Youngstown's Ryan Rucinski lit the lamp with eight seconds to play on a Phantoms power play to give the home side a 3-2 lead.

Youngstown added another power-play score early in the third period, Willson's second score of the evening. 

The U.S. doubled up the Phantoms in shots in the final frame, earning a 10-5 advantage, but could not find the back of the net throughout the period, including the last three-plus minutes with the netminder pulled as the game ended 4-2. 

Team USA starter Joey Slavick (Westland, Mich.) made 19 saves in the opening 30-plus minutes of the game while Harrison Boettiger (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) made four in the back half of the contest. 

The U18s are off next weekend before they head overseas for the 2025 Under-18 Five Nations in Engelholm, Sweden from February 6-10. 

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