BRNO, Czech Republic - The U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team defeated Sweden, 7-0, here this evening to win the gold medal at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Under-18 Championship. Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) had two goals and three assists, and Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped all 27 shots he faced, as Team USA captured its fourth straight gold medal in the tournament.

"I'm very proud of how our players conducted themselves throughout this tournament," said Danton Cole, head coach of the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team. "We worked hard, played a very disciplined game and never let up. These players deserve to call themselves champions."

The U.S. scored first at 18:45 of the opening period when Thomas Di Pauli (Woodridge, Ill.) jammed the puck past Swedish netminder Oscar Dansk. Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.) and Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) collected assists on the goal. Team USA led Sweden, 1-0, heading into the first intermission.

Daniel O'Regan (Needham, Mass.) doubled the U.S. advantage at 8:26 of the second stanza when he deked and scored on Dansk after a turnover by Sweden. J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) added to the Team USA lead on a wristshot from the left faceoff circle. Kerdiles and Seth Jones (Plano, Texas) assisted on the tally.

Skating four-on-four, Kerdiles sank his own rebound at 17:48 off the leg pad of Marcus Hogberg, who replaced Dansk in goal for Sweden. Olson made 10 saves in the frame to keep Sweden off the board and Team USA went into the second intermission with a 4-0 lead.

The U.S. continued to pressure Sweden's defense and notched a goal 18 seconds into the third period when Hartman snuck the puck under the crossbar on the backhand. Kerdiles and O'Regan picked up the assists. Connor Carrick (Orland Park, Ill.) gave Team USA a six-goal cushion when he wristed a shot from inside the blue line past Hogberg. Kerdiles earned the lone assist and capped the game with his second tally of the evening, securing the gold medal for the U.S.

NOTES: Collin Olson was named Team USA's Player of the Game and also received the directorate award as the tournament's best goaltender ... Olson, Seth Jones and Matthew Lane (Rochester, N.Y.) were named Team USA's best three players ... Team USA outshot Sweden, 45-27 ... The U.S. has captured a record nine consecutive medals at the IIHF Men's World Under-18 Championship, including four gold medals in a row (2009-12), back-to-back gold medals in 2005-06, two silver medals (2004, 2007) and one bronze (2008). Team USA also captured the gold medal in 2002 ... Team USA's 10 overall medals are most ever at the IIHF Men's World Under-18 Championship ... The U.S. Mens National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary software program that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period
SWE 0-0-0--0
USA 1-3-3--7

First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Di Pauli (Copp, Hartman), 18:45. Penalties: USA, Compher (slashing), 10:32; USA, Hartman (tripping), 16:35.

Second Period – Scoring: 2, USA, O'Regan (unassisted), 8:26; 3, USA, Compher (Kerdiles, Jones), 12:47; 4, USA, Kerdiles (unassisted), 17:48. Penalties: USA, Skjei (holding), 16:38; SWE, de la Rose (tripping), 16:42.

Third Period – Scoring: 5, USA, Hartman (Kerdiles, O'Regan), 0:18; 6, USA, Carrick (Kerdiles), 7:53; 7, USA, Kerdiles (Osterberg), 19:44. Penalties: USA, Trouba (holding), 9:18.

Shots by Period
SWE 11-10-6--27
USA 13-15-17--45

Goaltenders (Shots/Saves)
SWE, Dansk, 32:47, 21/18
SWE, Hogberg, 27:13, 24/20
USA, Olson, 60:00, 27/27

Power Play
SWE 0-4; USA 0-1

Penalties
SWE 1-2; USA 4-8