HODONIN, Czech Republic - The U.S. National Under-18 Team scored four second period goals to fuel a 5-2 victory against Belarus on Friday evening at Zimní Stadion Václava Nedomanského. The contest was the first of two pre-tournament games preceding the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men's World Championship in Brno and Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia.
Team USA fell behind early with Belarus capitalizing on two opportunities within the first four minutes of the game. The United States trailed 2-0 heading into the first intermission.
Following the break, Oliver Wahlstrom (Quincy, Mass.) opened the scoring for Team USA at the 8:48 mark of the second period. Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.) assisted on the opening tally.
A little over a minute later, Scott Reedy (Prior Lake, Minn.) scored off a feed from Max Gildon (Plano, Texas).
Two quick goals at the end of the period by Michigan natives, Logan Cockerill (Brighton, Mich.) and Josh Norris (Oxford, Mich.), gave Team USA a 4-2 lead going into the final frame.
Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa.) capped the scoring for Team USA at the 8:43 mark of the third period off a feed from Grant Mismash (Edina, Minn.). This marked Mismash's second tally of the game after setting up Norris in the second period.
Others to earn assists were Sean Dhooghe (Aurora, Ill.), Tyler Inamoto (Barrington, Ill.) and Jacob Tortora (Victor, N.Y.).
U.S. goaltender Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Mich.) picked up the victory by making 18 saves on 20 shots.
The U.S. National Under-18 Team is back in action on Monday for a matchup with Finland at 3:30 p.m. CET (9:30 a.m. ET) at ZS Spišská Nová Ves to conclude their pre-tournament matchups. The U.S. opens their preliminary play on Thursday (April 13) against Russia at 3:30 p.m. CET (9:30 a.m. ET).
Notes
Team USA outshot Belarus 34-20 ... Team USA went 0-5 on the power play while Belarus went 0-4 ... For complete tournament information, visit U18worlds2017.iihf.com. ... The U.S. enters the tournament having captured a record 13 consecutive medals, including gold medals in six of the last eight years (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015) ... Team USA has won nine gold medals all-time, the most of any country in IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship history. The event began in 1999. Team USA earned its first gold medal in 2002 ... Follow @USAHockey on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with the #U18Worlds tag ... For additional coverage, visit the USA Hockey Facebook page and Instagram account.
U18MWC Schedule
USA Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (Local/ET)/RESULT | LOCATION | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 7 | Exhibition vs. Belarus | W, 5-2 | Hodonin, Czech Republic | |
| April 10 | Exhibition vs. Finland | W, 5-2 | ZS Spisska Nova Ves | |
| April 13 | Belarus | W, 7-0 | ZS Spisska Nova Ves | NHL Network |
| April 15 | Russia | W, 5-4 | ZS Spisska Nova Ves | NHL Network |
| April 17 | Czech Republic | W, 5-2 | ZS Spisska Nova Ves | NHL Network |
| April 18 | Sweden | W, 5-1 | ZS Spisska Nova Ves | NHL Network |
| April 20 | Switzerland Quarterfinals |
W, 4-2 | ZS Spisska Nova Ves | NHL Network |
| April 22 | Sweden Semifinals |
W, 4-3 OT | ZS Poprad | NHL Network |
| April 23 | Finland • Gold Medal Game | W, 4-2 | ZS Poprad | NHL Network |