U.S. National Under-17 Team Clipped by Russia, 5-3, at 2016 U17 Five Nations Tournament. Team USA Finishes Third in the Event.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Reilly Walsh (Andover, N.H.) tallied two goals but the U.S. National Under-17 Team was clipped by Russia, 5-3, here tonight at USA Hockey Arena. The United States completes 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament play with a 2-0-1-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record to place third in the event.

The opening frame was scoreless through the first half before Russia lit the lamp at 13:36. Less than four minutes later, Walsh snapped the equalizer past Russian goaltender Maxim Zhukov. Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.) and Nate Knoepke (Farmington, Mich.) recorded assists on the power-play tally.

Russia scored the lone goal of the second stanza just 2:57 into the frame to retake the lead, 2-1. The U.S. outshot its opponent 17-7 in an attempt to tie the game, but Zhukov would not allow the equalizer.

On an odd-man rush during the final period of the contest, Russia added a third tally less than five minutes into the session. Walsh’s second marker of the night pulled the U.S. within a goal when he fired a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle at 13:24. David Farrance (Victor, N.Y.) knotted the game, 3-3, just over one minute later off a feed out of the left corner from Scott Reedy (Prior Lake, Minn.). The Russians potted the eventual game winner at 17:15 and added an empty-net score to seal the victory, 5-3.

Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Mich.) stopped 18 shots in the loss for Team USA, while Zhukov kicked out 36 shots in the victory for Russia.

The United States outshot Russia, 39-23 … Team USA went 1-5 on the power play while Russia went 0-4 … Russia claimed the tournament title with Finland placing second, the United States third followed by the Czech Republic (4th) and Sweden (5th) … The U.S. roster is composed of 20 members from the 2015-16 U.S. National Under-17 Team, part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.