It was a defensive battle early on as Team USA's first shot came a tick under 9:00 to go, coming off the tape of Sam Wathier (Des Moines, Iowa) and held the Phantoms to just a pair in the same span. Youngstown, however, broke through late in the period on the power play and scored the lone goal of the first with 2:02 to go.

The second period followed suit as both teams denied chances and made it difficult to put one on net. One of Team USA's greatest looks came with :15 seconds left as Brody George (Johnstown, Pa.) fired a shot from the faceoff dot but was denied to keep it 1-0 after 40.

The Phantoms opened things up in the first half of the third period and tallied a pair 1:49 apart to make it 3-0.

The U.S. didn't go down without a fight, however, as Plante put one past Youngstown's netminder Owen Lepak to break up his shutout bid. Lukas Zajic (Plainfield, Ill.) forced a turnover with his body as Plante picked up the loose puck. He fed Logan Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) at the crease for an attempt before Plante came in and cleaned up the rebound with 3:09 to go.

The comeback fell short though as the U.S. fell, 3-1.

Luke Carrithers (Maple Grove, Minn.) started in net for the U.S. and made 20 saves.

The team returns back to close out its weekend series against the Phantoms tomorrow (Sept. 27), with puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m. ET. Tickets for tomorrow’s game, and all home games this season, are available at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the box office at 734-453-8400. Fans who attend the game will receive a free NTDP magnet schedule.

Fans are also encouraged to show up early and check out the all-new 2025 Lincoln Navigator inside the concourse. Fans can take a test drive and earn a $25 CJ’s gift card or receive a free game ticket or tumbler by trying Lincoln’s “Rejuvenate Spa”, taking place from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.