RED DEER, Alta. -- J.T. Miller scored a shorthanded goal and added an assist, but a U.S. squad of candidates for the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team dropped a 6-3 decision to Russia tonight at the Enmax Centrium.

Tonight's game was the first of three pre-tournament games designed to prepare the U.S. National Junior Team for the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, which will take place Monday (Dec. 26) through Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Calgary, Alta.

"While we're disappointed with the loss, this is just a step in our evaluation process," said Dean Blais, head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team. "We will continue to work to prepare for the tournament, beginning with tomorrow's exhibition game against Switzerland."

After falling behind in the game's first three minutes, 2-0, Team USA got on the scoreboard when Josh Archibald's (Brainerd, Minn./University of Nebraska Omaha) long shot beat Russian goaltender Andrey Vasilevskiy.

Russia regained a two-goal lead midway through the second period. But Miller intercepted a pass with his team shorthanded in the period's final minute, sped away for a breakaway and beat Vasilevskiy to make the score 3-2 after two.

The U.S. could not get closer in the third period, as Russia pushed its advantage to 5-2 before Kenny Agostino (Flanders, N.J./Yale Univ.) connected on a rebound opportunity from the slot. An empty-net goal by Russia closed out the scoring.

Team USA goalie Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich./Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) made 20 saves in the loss, while Vasilevskiy stopped 34 U.S. shots in the win.

Next up for Team USA is an exhibition game tomorrow night (Dec. 21) against Switzerland in Camrose, Alta. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. MST, with full coverage at USAHockey.com.

Team USA will play its first preliminary-round game of the IIHF World Junior Championship on Sunday (Dec. 26) against Finland. The game, to be televised on NHL Network U.S., will start at 8:00 p.m. EST.

NOTES: Team USA finished 0-for-6 on the power play, while Russia was 2-for-4 with the man advantage ... The U.S. National Junior Team is coming off back-to-back medals in the IIHF World Junior Championship for the first time ever, having earned a bronze medal in last year's event in Buffalo, N.Y., and a gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, Sask. ...Dean Blais, head men's ice hockey coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha, will serve as head coach of the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team. He will be assisted by Scott Sandelin, head men's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth; Tom Ward, head ice hockey coach of the Shattuck-St. Mary's School's boys' prep team; and Joe Exter, assistant men's ice hockey coach at Ohio State University ... Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director of hockey operations, is serving as the general manager of Team USA for the third consecutive year. Tim Taylor (Guilford, Conn.), former U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team head coach and longtime Yale University men's ice hockey team head coach, is also serving his third straight year as Team USA's director of player personnel ..

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

RUS 2 - 1 - 3 - 6
USA 1 - 1 - 1 - 3

First Period - Scoring: 1, RUS, Zemchenko (Kulikov, Telegin), 2:25 (pp); 2, RUS, Antipin (Kosov), 2:54; 3, USA, Archibald (Watson, Brickley), 3:52. Penalties: USA, Trouba (elbowing), 1:35; RUS, Ozhiganov (charging), 18:57.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, RUS, Khokhlachev (Telegin, Yakupov), 9:03; 5, USA, Miller (unassisted), 19:42 (sh). Penalties: RUS, Telegin (interference), 2:12; RUS, Kosov (checking-to-the-head major, game misconduct); USA, Agostino (goaltender interference), 13:05; RUS, Yakupov (cross-checking), 17:01; USA, Clendening (holding), 18:48.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, RUS, Yakupov (Ozhiganov), 7:57 (sh); 7, RUS, Kucherov (Isangulov, Antipin), 13:54 (pp); 8, USA, Agostino (Trouba, Miller), 14:34; 9, RUS, Kucherov (Telegin), 18:21 (en). Penalties: USA, Clendening (hooking), 4:19; RUS, Naumenkov (interference), 6:40; USA, Johns (kneeing), 13:26; USA, Arnold (roughing), 18:37; RUS, Namestnikov (roughing), 18:37; RUS, Barbashev (hooking), 19:37.

Power Play: RUS 2-4; USA 0-6
Penalties: RUS 7-35; USA 5-10
Attendance: 5,946

*All games in Edmonton will be played at Rexall Place. All games in Calgary will be played at Scotiabank Saddledome.
^Exhibition game