Sunday, April 22, 2007

Three-peat foiled



A 2-goal, 1-assist performance by incoming freshman Colin Wilson wasn’t quite enough to lift Team USA to a third consecutive World U18 championship, as Russia won the gold-medal game today, 6-5.

Team USA started fast with two goals early in the first period, including a shorthander by 2008 recruiting target Vinny Saponari. Russia tied the score before Wilson’s first goal, with 90 seconds left, produced a 3-2 lead after one period. Two goals in the second gave Russia a lead until James VanRiemsdyk, assisted by Wilson, knotted the score at 4. Russia added two goals in the final period before Wilson’s second marker—an extra attacker goal in the waning seconds—brought the United States within one.

Wilson was named player of the game for Team USA, just as Kevin Shattenkirk was in the semifinal win on Friday. Shattenkirk was named to the all-star team, and was selected as the outstanding defenseman in the tournament, while Wilson and UNH-bound VanRiemsdyk, who both played on the gold-medal 2006 U.S. team, were the overall scoring leaders, each tallying 5-7-12. Wilson finished his final NTDP season with 30 goals and 44 assists in 56 games (pre-tournament stats).

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