The U.S. National Team Development Program Under 18s went ahead in the second period and put the game out of reach in the third on Saturday, upending the Waterloo Black Hawks 8-4 at USA Hockey Arena.
The Hawks had won Friday's opener 3-2, but could not repeat the performance. Wyatt Cullen and Brayden Willis each produced two goals for the U18s Saturday.
Both teams scored three times during a wild opening period. The NTDP jumped to a 2-0 lead on a pair of power play conversions in the first seven minutes. Cullen had the first one on the game's first shot on goal, hitting the net from near the left dot 56 seconds into the action. Carter Meyer was a few feet further back near the top of the circle when he scored on the next power play at 6:39.
Just over two minutes later, the Hawks were on the comeback trail. Dylan Nolan's offensive zone takeaway created Cullen Emery's pointblank chance, and Emery beat Luke Carrithers over the goaltender's left shoulder.
Atte Vikla tied the score at 10:24 on a wrister from the left point that changed directions off a defender. Then Caleb Deanovich put the Hawks ahead at 13:01. Deanovich was the trailer on an odd-man rush; Cody Sokol turned and found him, setting up the defenseman to beat Carrithers on the blocker side.
Waterloo could not convert a subsequent power play, and the U18s tied the score with 2:42 left in the period as Willis sped to the net and squeezed in a shot to the short side.
The NTDP broke the tie 30 seconds into the second period. Cullen hit the net for the second time, winging a shot under the crossbar from the left circle.
Then at 12:58, a defensive zone turnover allowed the U18s to build the lead; Nolan Fitzhenry fired in his unassisted chance in the blink of an eye following the takeaway.
It was the Hawks who scored in the opening minute of the third period, drawing back within one on Hayden Russell's power play score. Russell capitalized from the right circle for his third goal of the weekend.
However, the NTDP did all the rest of the scoring, pulling back ahead by two at 3:57. Victor Plante's tap-in capped an odd-man look after Casey Mutryn tracked down the puck in the Waterloo zone.
The U18s pulled further away on Jamie Glance's shorthanded goal at 8:19, and then Willis bagged his second of the night with just under seven minutes left.
Now the Hawks return to Young Arena for their final two home games of the regular season next weekend. Friday the Hawks meet the Omaha Lancers on UNI Panther Pride Night, presented by Iowa Chill. Saturday the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders visit Young Arena on Fan Appreciation Night presented by Next Generation Wireless. Both games begin at 6:35 p.m. Good seats are available from the Domino's Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680 or online at tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com.
Waterloo 3 0 1 - 4
USA Hockey NTDP 3 2 3 - 8
1st Period-1, USA Hockey NTDP, Cullen 3 (Francisco, Mutryn), 0:56 (PP). 2, USA Hockey NTDP, Meyer 14 (Schairer, Beuker), 6:39 (PP). 3, Waterloo, Emery 11 (Nolan), 8:51. 4, Waterloo, Vikla 5 (Deanovich, Lefere), 10:24. 5, Waterloo, Deanovich 3 (Sokol, Carlson), 13:01. 6, USA Hockey NTDP, Willis 10 (Meyer, Marthaler), 17:18. Penalties-Carlson Wat (hooking), 0:37; Vikla Wat (slashing), 5:39; Meyer Ntdp (high sticking), 13:42.
2nd Period-7, USA Hockey NTDP, Cullen 4 (Francisco), 0:30. 8, USA Hockey NTDP, Fitzhenry 13 12:58. Penalties-Lefere Wat (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 9:52; Glance Ntdp (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 9:52; Zajic Ntdp (high sticking), 13:57; Bogas Ntdp (high sticking), 19:27.
3rd Period-9, Waterloo, Russell 9 (Emery, Vikla), 0:23 (PP). 10, USA Hockey NTDP, Plante 8 (Mutryn, Zajic), 3:57. 11, USA Hockey NTDP, Glance 9 (Meyer), 8:19 (SH). 12, USA Hockey NTDP, Willis 11 (Fitzhenry, Glance), 13:06. Penalties-Marthaler Ntdp (slashing), 7:23; Carlson Wat (roughing), 15:52; Martyniuk Ntdp (major-fighting, game misconduct-aggressor, game misconduct-fighting (under 5 mins)), 15:52.
Shots on Goal-Waterloo 11-5-7-23. USA Hockey NTDP 9-9-7-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Waterloo 1 / 4; USA Hockey NTDP 2 / 2.
Goalies-Waterloo, Zucker 0-0-0-0 (10 shots-6 saves); Callaway 6-11-1-1 (15 shots-11 saves). USA Hockey NTDP, Carrithers 5-2-1-1 (23 shots-19 saves).
A-2,574
