U.S. Drops 8-6 Decision to Czechia in Under-17 Five Nations Tournament

PIESTANY, Slovakia – William Bent (Dover, Mass.) had two goals and Levi Harper (Tampa, Fla.) contributed three assists, but the U.S. Under-17 Select Team dropped an 8-6 decision to Czechia here today in the 2024 Under 17 Five Nations Tournament.

“It was a wild and entertaining game,” said Joe Bonnett (Colorado Springs, Colo.), head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team. “I thought our kids did a good job of staying with it through the ups and downs of the game. We battled and played hard against a very good Czech team.”

An eventful opening stanza finished with the U.S. enjoying a 4-3 lead after 20 minutes.

Czechia got off to a 2-0 advantage just 3:15 into the game with goals from Filip Novak and Jan Kerbler, but before the opening seven minutes had been played, Team USA tied the game. Joseph Salandra (Pleasantville, N.Y.) wristed one to the back of the net from the bottom of the left circle at 3:49 for the first U.S. goal with Nathaniel Pederson (Shakopee, Minn.) and Ryan Poirier (Salem, N.H.) earning assists on the play. Bent tied the contest at 6:51 off a rebound in front after the initial shot from between the circles off the stick of Caden Harvey (Beaver, Pa.).

Czechia re-gained the lead at 8:33, scoring just 23 seconds into its first power play opportunity when Simon Catholicky beat U.S. netminder Ryder Fetterolf (Sewickley, Pa.) short side from the left dot.

GAME PHOTOS

Kalder Varga (Geneva, Ill.) got the U.S. back to even after he blocked a shot in the defensive zone, raced up the ice on a breakaway, and beat Czech netminder Jan Larys glove side from the doorstep at 11:57.

With just :01 left in the period, Nicholas Bogas (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) put one home from the right dot under the glove of Larys to give the U.S. its first lead of the game. Harper and Vargas picked up assists on the marker.

Czechia tied the game at 15:02 of the middle frame with Simon Bulohorsky recording the goal, but with just :54 left in the period, the U.S. re-gained the lead on the power play after Harper’s shot from the center point bounded off the end wall to the side of the net where Noah Davidson (Irvine, Calif.) put it home. U.S. netminder Xavier Wendt (Plymouth, Minn.), who relieved Fetterolf in goal 8:33 into the contest, had a busy period, making 13 saves.

With the teams skating four-on-four, Vojtech Svancar finished a two-on-one chance at the side of the goal just :29 into the third period to knot the game at 5-5. Just 2:14 later while on the power play, Czechia got the lead back as Lukas Kachlir scored from the side of the right circle.

Bent earned his second of the game after he put home a rebound off an initial shot from Harper from out in front while on the power play at 6:23 to knot the game at 6-6.

Catholicky scored what proved to be the game-winner at 12:43 of the final frame, while Ondrej Ruml tallied at 15:32 to account for the 8-6 final. The U.S. pulled Wendt in favor of an extra attacker with 2:54 to play and despite solid pressure, could not get any closer.

The U.S. will conclude play in the tournament tomorrow (Aug. 18) against host Slovakia at 2:30 p.m. local/8:30 a.m. ET.

NOTES: Noah Davidson (Irvine, Calif.) was named the U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. outshot Czechia, 43-32 … Team USA was 2-7 on the power play, while Czechia was 2-6.