World University Team USA 3, Japan 6 [EN]

2009-02-25

TEAM USA TO PLAY CHINA ON THURSDAY

	VS
TEAM USA 3		JAPAN 6 (EN)

PLAYING LINEUPS

OFFICIAL BOX SCORE

GAME SUMMARY

HARBIN, CHINA - The U.S. University Select Team fell to Japan, 6-3, here tonight at the Skating Gym in its final preliminary round game of the 2009 Winter World University Games. Team USA will play China tomorrow (Feb. 26) in the seventh-place game at 2:30 p.m. (1:30 a.m. ET).

 

After Japan opened the game's scoring with a power-play tally at 6:10 of the first period, Kyle Krannich (Mendham, N.J./University of Rhode Island) answered with a power-play goal of his own at 12:52. Jason O'Bannon (North Royalton, Ohio/Kent State University) scored at 17:09 to send Team USA to the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.

 

Japan notched two more power-play markers less than five minutes apart in the second stanza to reclaim its one-goal advantage.

 

Japan scored at 5:35 of the third period, before adding another tally just 0:35 later to take a 5-2 lead. Despite outshooting Japan, 24-12, in the period, Team USA's only goal of the period came off the stick of Johnny Liang (Glenview, Ill./University of Illinois) at 19:07. Japan notched an empty-net goal with five seconds left in the period to account for the 6-3 final.

 

NOTES: The U.S. will match or beat its all-time highest finish at the event since returning to the Winter World University Games in 2001. Team USA earned an eighth-place finish in both 2001 and 2007.  The U.S. team is comprised of players from collegiate ice hockey teams affiliated with the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The University of Illinois leads all schools with five players on the 22-man roster ... Joe Augustine (North Scituate, R.I./University of Rhode Island) is the head coach of the 2009 U.S. University Select Team. Augustine is assisted by Scott Balboni (State College, Pa./Penn State University) and David Debol (Saline, Mich./University of Michigan-Dearborn).

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

TEAM	1	2	3	=	F
USA	2	0	1	=	3
JAPAN	1	2	3	=	6

First Period

1, JPN, Sakagami (Kokubo, Nakai), 6:10 (pp);

2, USA, Krannich (O'Bannon, Gehring), 12:52 (pp);

3, USA, O'Bannon (Gehring, Liang), 17:09.

 

Penalties: USA, Swezey (slashing), 2:14; JPN, Mizuuchi (high-sticking), 2:32; USA, McWhorter (interference), 4:49; USA, Lassik (check from behind), 7:41; USA, Lassik (misconduct), 9:41; JPN, Ebina (hooking), 11:10; JPN, Sato (delay of game), 19:20.

Second Period

4, JPN, Tanaka (Konno, Haga), 5:07 (pp);

5, JPN, Konno (Kuji, Terao), 10:29 (pp).

 

Penalties: USA, Samp (interference), 2:55; USA, Cornelius (hooking), 4:58; USA, Butler (hooking), 5:27; USA, Lassik (slashing), 8:44; USA, Lassik (hooking), 12:06; JPN, Mizuuchi (hooking), 13:20.

Third Period

6, JPN, Sakagami (Kokubo, Ebata), 5:35;

7, JPN, Kuji (unassisted), 6:10;

8, USA, Liang (Mueller), 19:07;

9, JPN, Ebata (unassisted), 19:55 (en).

 

Penalties: JPN, Sato (hooking), 12:37; USA, Lassik (slashing), 16:56.

Power Play: USA 1-5; JAP 3-9
Penalties: USA 10-28; JAP 5-10

Officials: Referee – Graham Skilliter (CAN); Linesmen – Sean Dufour (CAN), Sun Yang (CHN)

Attendance: 1,200

 

Shots by Period	1	2	3	OT		Total
USA	17	14	24	0		55
JAPAN	15	16	12	0		43
Goaltenders (SH/SV)	1	2	3	OT		Total
USA, Paul Marshall, 59:12	14-15	14-16	9-11		42 Shots-37 Saves
JAP, Inoue, 60:00	15-17	14-14	23-24		55 Shots-52 Saves