U.S. National Under-18 Tops Switzerland, 4-2, in Men's U-18 Four Nations Opener

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) notched two goals as the U.S. National Under-18 Team defeated Switzerland, 4-2, here tonight in its first game of the 2008 Men's Under-18 Four Nations Cup at the Olympic Center.

With just 1:34 to play in the first period, Ryan Bourque (Boxford, Mass.) found Treais who snapped a shot over the right shoulder of netminder Benjamin Conz for a short handed goal. Team USA entered the locker room ahead 1-0 after 20 minutes.

Switzerland answered back in the second stanza when Renato Engler snapped a shot over the outstretched glove of Adam Murray (Anchorage, Alaska) at the 12:03 mark. Inti Pestoni staked Switzerland a 2-1 lead at 15:58 after he gained the zone and fired a wrist shot off the right post and into the net. With just 1:06 to play in the second period, Bourque and Treais broke into the Swiss zone alone. Bourque fed a cross-crease pass to Treais who chipped it over a sprawling Conz.

Jeremy Morin(Auburn, N.Y.)put the U.S. ahead 3-2 just 2:43 into the final frame after he found his way around a Swiss defender and fired a shot low-glove side and into the back of the net. Tyler Amburgey (Flower Mound, Texas) made it 4-2 after he fired a low wrist shot past Conz at 16:49.

Murray made 19 saves to earn the victory.

The U.S. National Under-18 Team returns to action tomorrow night (November 5) against Finland at 8 p.m. EDT at the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.

NOTES:A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Team USA out shot Switzerland by a 31-21 margin ... Defenseman Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich.) and forward Ryan Bourque each recorded two assists ... The 2008 Women's Four Nations Cup is running simultaneously with the Men's Under-18 Four Nations Cup at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA	1	1	2 --	4
SUI	0	1	1 --	2

 

 

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Treais (Bourque), 18:26 (sh). Penalties: USA, Brown (roughing), SUI, Ryan McGregor (interference), 7:51; SUI, Schappi (holding the stick), 10:57; USA, Brown (elbowing), 17:12.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, SUI, Engler (Scherwey), 12:03; 3, SUI, Pestoni (Steiner), 15:58; 4, USA, Treais (Bourque), 18:54. Penalties: SUI, Untersander (holding), 4:37; SUI, Erni (tripping), 17:00; USA, McCarthy (high-sticking), 17:50.

Third Period - Scoring: 5, USA, Morin (Fowler), 2:43; 6, USA, Amburgey (Fowler, D'Amigo) Penalties: SUI, Camperchioli (hooking), 1:11; USA, Ryan (interference), 2:14; USA, Bourque (roughing), 4:06; SUI, Niederreiter (roughing), 4:06.

Shots by Period	1	2	3	Total
USA	12	12	7	31
SUI	6	5	8	21
Goaltenders (SH/SV)	1	2	3	Total
USA, Murray, 60:00	6-6	5-3	8-8	21-19
SUI, Conz, 60:00	12-11	12-11	7-5	31-27

 

 

 

 

 

Power Play: USA 0-5; SUI 0-4
Penalties: USA 5-10; SUI 6-12
Officials: Referees: Keith Kaval, Craig Hanson; Linesmen: Derek Wahl, Bob Fryer