POTSDAM, N.Y. - In its final game before holiday break, the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell to the Clarkson Golden Knights, 8-2, this afternoon inside Cheel Arena.

After a game misconduct was called, Team USA went up a man for 5:00 minutes and converted once to cut into the Golden Knight's lead. Early in the second, the puck was worked around the offensive zone before it fell on the blade of Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.). Berchild snapped a shot on net as Parker Trottier (Edina, Minn.) battled in the crease and redirected it for a score at 1:47.

St. Lawrence answered but Victor Plante (Hermantown, Minn.) cut it back to a two-goal game. Plante started a rush alongside Sammy Nelson (Maple Grove, Minn.) who was fed the puck and put it on net. Nelson's shot rang off the pipe but Plante dashed in and cleaned up the loose puck to make it 4-2 at 7:01.

St. Lawrence regained its three-goal lead with a tally at 11:47 of the middle frame to make it 5-2 headed into the final frame.

The Golden Knights made it 6-2 early in the third, at :42 seconds in, while the teams skated 4-on-4. Clarkson added two more before the final buzzer and held the U.S. to three shots in the third as Team USA fell, 8-2.

Luke Carrithers (Maple Grove, Minn.) started in net for Team USA and turned aside 32 shots.

The U18s don't hit the ice for over two weeks as it'll travel to face Bowling Green Monday, Dec. 29, with puck drop set for 7:07 p.m. ET.

Team USA returns to USA Hockey Arena Saturday, Dec. 27 as the Under-17 Team takes on the Muskegon Lumberjacks at 7:00 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the box office at 734-453-8400.