skip navigation
Photo by Rena Laverty

U17s place second at 2018 U17 Four Nations Cup

By USAHockeyNTDP.com, 12/15/18, 5:30PM EST

Share

Smilanic scores twice in OT loss to Russia in championship game


Photo by Rena Laverty

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Russia took first place at the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Cup with an overtime victory over Team USA, and Slovakia earned third place with its win over Switzerland on Saturday at USA Hockey Arena.

RUSSIA 3, USA 2 (OT)

Despite a pair of goals from Ty Smilanic (Elizabeth, Colo.), the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to Russia by a 3-2 final in overtime in the championship matchup at the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament on Saturday night at USA Hockey Arena.

Russia's Shakir Mukhamadullin scored his team-leading fourth goal of the Four Nations Cup in the overtime period to win it.

Smilanic, who tallied his third and fourth power-play goals of the tournament (sixth and seventh of the season), helped Team USA erase a third-period deficit when he sent a one-timer past Russian goaltender Semyon Sharabarin with 6:18 to play in regulation.

Smilanic's first of the game, a wrist shot from the right circle,  gave the U17s their lone lead of the game at the 3:31 mark of the opening period.

Russia responded, however, when Ivan Didkovskiy found the back of the net on the power play.

Dmitri Zugan added a second power-play goal for Russia in the second frame to break the 1-1 tie.

Smilanic's late heroics sent the game into a 3-on-3 overtime session. Mukhamadullin's shot from the point slipped through a handful of bodies in front to win the game for Russia.

Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) delivered 19 saves in net for Team USA, which included a sequence of impressive stops in overtime to keep the game alive.

Sharabarin stopped 34 shots for Russia to earn the win.

NOTES: Team USA went 2-for-7 on the power play. Team Russia went 3-for-7 on the power play. The U17s outshot Russia by a 36-22 margin. Ty Smilanic earned Player of the Game recognition for Team USA. Vasili Ponomaryov collected the honor for Team Russia.

SLOVAKIA 4, SWITZERLAND 2

Slovakia earned third place at the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Cup with a 4-2 victory over Switzerland on Saturday afternoon at USA Hockey Arena.

The Slovaks, who dropped all three games during the group stage of the tournament before their win Saturday, were aided by goals from Samuel Rehák, Richard Nemec and Ján Lašák, as well as a strong performance in net from Šimon Latkóczy.

Rehák opened scoring for Slovakia at 12:29 of the first period when he corralled a loose puck in the crease and slipped it past Swiss goaltender Noah Patenaude. Nemec doubled the lead six minutes later with a well-executed finish on a tic-tac-toe play alongside Oleksiy Myklukha.

Myklukha's three points during the Four Nations Cup paced the Slovak side.

Switzerland pulled within one when Joel Bieri finished a backhand in tight for his first goal of the tournament. However, Ján Lašák restored the two-goal advantage for Slovakia before the second intermission with a short-handed tally.

Both sides scored in the third period, including an empty-net goal from Slovakia's Samuel Krajč to seal the victory.

Latkóczy made 14 stops for Slovakia in the win.

Patenaude, who registered Switzerland's lone win of the Four Nations Cup on Friday, suffered the loss in a 23-save performance.

NOTES: Team Slovakia went 1-for-3 on the power play. Team Switzerland went 0-for-2 on the power play. Slovakia outshot Switzerland by a 27-17 margin. Ján Lašák earned Player of the Game recognition for Slovakia. Giancarlo Chanton collected the Player of the Game honor for Switzerland.

Team rosters, broadcast details and other information can be found on the tournament website, found here ... All tournament action will be covered by the USA Hockey's NTDP and USA Hockey Arena's social media accounts (@USAHockeyNTDP and @USAHockeyArena) ... Get involved with the conversation by using the tournament hashtag #4NationsU17.

Stats & Standings

Team Rosters

Sights & Sounds

HIGHLIGHTS (USA VS. RUS)

2018 Four Nations Cup Schedule

DATE HOME AWAY TIMES/RESULTS TICKETS STREAMING STATS
Tue, Dec. 11 Russia Switzerland RUS 9, SUI 1 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Tue, Dec. 11 USA Slovakia USA 7, SVK 2 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Wed, Dec. 12 Slovakia Russia RUS 6, SVK 1 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Wed, Dec. 12 USA Switzerland USA 3, SUI 1 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Fri, Dec. 14 Switzerland Slovakia SUI 3, SVK 1 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Fri, Dec. 14 USA Russia USA 4, RUS 2 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Sat., Dec. 15 Switzerland Slovakia (3rd Place Game) SVK 4, SUI 2 Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats
Sat., Dec. 15 USA Russia (1st Place Game) RUS 3, USA 2 (OT) Buy Tickets Watch Live Live Stats

HIGHLIGHTS (SVK VS. SUI)

2018 Four Nations Cup News

Photo by Brett Blum