Braden Horton broke a 5-5 tie with 6:21 left, and the U.S. National Under-18 Team beat the Dubuque Fighting Saints 7-5 on Saturday night at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth for a second straight win over Dubuque. Nash Roed scored twice, including an empty-net goal, and added an assist before a crowd of 760. The NTDP blew a three-goal lead before pulling it out.
How the goals came
Gerry DiCunzolo scored 1:49 into the game, from Brayden Willis and Nolan Fitzhenry, and Ben Geiger made it 2-0 at 7:29, from Rocco Pelosi and Beck Thoreson. After C. Dabrowski scored on a Dubuque power play, Roed answered at 18:52, from Charlie Mineman and Easton Johnson. Finnegan Sears pushed the lead to 4-1 at 2:47 of the second, assisted by Cannon Thibodeau and Mineman.
Dubuque then scored three straight power-play goals, from Dabrowski at 10:14 and O. Darth at 13:44 of the second and M. Ekman at 6:45 of the third, to tie it 4-4. Thibodeau put the U18s back ahead at 8:45, from Sears and Jake Prunty, but Darth tied it again at 10:08. Horton scored the winner at 13:39, from Roed and Sam Pandolfo, and Roed sealed it into an empty net at 19:38.
In goal and on special teams
Nathaniel Chizik made 22 saves on 27 shots, and Dubuque outshot the NTDP 27-22. B. Wright stopped 15 of 21 for the Saints. Penalties nearly cost the U18s: Dubuque went 4-for-6 on the power play, while the NTDP had just one chance and did not score. Horton, Roed, and Sears were the three stars.
What’s next
The teams finish the three-game set Sunday at 4 p.m. at USA Hockey Arena.
Friday’s game: NTDP U18 vs. Fighting Saints (Oct. 16).
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