Friday's box score
PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Landon Hafele's game-winning goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation and empty net tally with 27 seconds left in the third helped the U.S. National Team Development Program (18U) collect a 4-2 win over the Tri-City Storm on Friday night at USA Hockey Arena.
U.S. NTDP (in USHL play: 8-16-1, 17 pts) has earned a standings point in four straight home games against USHL opponents. Tri-City (15-14-3, 33 pts) recorded just its fifth road loss of the season.
NTDP struck first with a power play tally 4:39 into the game. Will Moore received the puck at the top of the left wing circle, then fired a rapid snapshot past Tri-City goaltender Erick Roest on the glove side. It was the Boston College commit's fourth of the season.
Tri-City tied the contest early in the second. Following an NTDP turnover at the Storm blue line, Carmelo Crandell won a foot race for a loose puck near center ice. In the center circle, the Arizona State commit received a high stick in the face from NTDP's Donny Bracco. After recovering from the contact, Crandell skated on a breakaway toward the NTDP net and slid a shot past netminder Harrison Boettiger for his tenth of the season.
NTDP retook the lead with a late second period tally. Conrad Fondrk retrieved the puck at the right point of the Tri-City zone, then skated across the ice to the left faceoff circle. Fondrk swiftly shot the puck past Roest in the top of Tri-City's net for his second of the season.
After several Storm attempts to even the game throughout the third period, including one overturned on video review, Colby Woogk tallied Tri-City's equalizer 13:37 into the third. Woogk, who received a centering pass in the NTDP slot from Carson Pilgrim off the right wing boards, ripped a shot around Boettinger for his third of the season.
It took less than a minute for NTDP to re-take the lead. Following a strong forecheck in the Storm zone, NTDP won puck possession in their offensive end. After a Maceo Phillips shot from the left point, Hafele cleaned a rebound next to the right post of Tri-City's net by batting the puck in mid-air with his stick.
The Storm pulled Roest with around 90 seconds left in regulation, but never found the back of the net again. Hafele added an empty net goal after shooting the puck from his own zone with 27 seconds left. The Fairbanks, Alaska native was the only player in the game to log multiple points.
Tri-City outshot NTDP 29-24 in the contest.
Up next: The Storm end the series at the United States National Team Development Program tomorrow night. The matchup begins at 6 pm CT. Fans can watch on USA Hockey TV and listen on Storm Radio.
