U18s Fall in Overtime at Muskegon, 3-2

USA Hockey National Team Development Program

U18s Fall in Overtime at Muskegon, 3-2

By USA Hockey's NTDP, 04/04/25, 10:00PM EDT

Kvasnicka and Berchild both score in third to force overtime

Photo by Rena Laverty

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Despite rallying back from a two-goal deficit in the third, the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell to the Muskegon Lumberjacks, 3-2, in overtime tonight at Trinity Health Arena.

The Lumberjacks got on the board first as Tynan Lawrence cleaned up a loose puck in the crease 5:46 into the frame. It was a strong defensive battle after the midway point where only a pair of shots, one a side, were recorded in nearly seven minutes of play. Team USA’s best chance in the first came when Teddy Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.) split a pair of defenders and found Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) on the doorstep who threw it towards the goal but was stopped by starting Muskegon netminder Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev.

The defensive side of the game remained as the physicality ramped up in the opening ticks of the middle frame. Xavier Veilleux of the Lumberjacks put Team USA’s deficit to a pair at the 13:43 mark after a shot from the blue line found the back of the net. Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.) nearly cut into the lead as he skated towards an open lane in the slot and rifled one towards the net but Gadzhiev controlled the shot.

Box Score

Team USA wasn’t without great chances in the period as LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and sped behind a Muskegon defender before Gadzhiev turned it aside with 3:55 to go.

Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.) broke through for Team USA in the third to cut into the Lumberjacks lead. The puck rang around the boards as Everett Baldwin (Providence, R.I.) halted it at the blue line and fired it through traffic. Initially blocked by a Lumberjack skater, Kvasnicka didn’t lose track of it and corralled it and sent it past Gadzhiev with 18:59 to play.

Team USA kept it rolling as Berchild netted the equalizer with 5:31 left in regulation. Mooney sped into the offensive zone on the wing and quickly cut to the middle of the ice. Berchild snuck behind the defense as Mooney slid the puck on the ice towards the hash marks where he picked it up and snapped it through.

Each team gave one final push in regulation but 60 minutes wasn’t enough as overtime ensued.

Team USA killed off a crucial penalty early in extra time which made the 3-on-3 overtime turn 4-on-4 for 2:30 time. The Lumberjacks, however, netted the game winner with :15 seconds to go as the U18s fell, 3-2.

Harrison Boettiger (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) started in net and stopped 29 shots.

The U18s return home tomorrow in its final game of the season for Just Drive Night, presented by the Kiefer Foundation, and Billet Appreciation Night as the Waterloo Black Hawks visit USA Hockey Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on USAHockeyTV. Tickets are available at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the box office at 734-453-8400.