General | 1/15/2024 6:57:19 PM
STORY COURTESY USA HOCKEY
PLYMOUTH, Mich. – John Mustard (Oradell, N.J./Waterloo Blackhawks) scored 3:11 into overtime to lift Team White to a 5-4 victory over Team Blue here today at USA Hockey Arena in the 2024 Chipotle All-American Game, featuring top players eligible for the NHL Draft. Austin Baker (White Lake, Mich./U.S. National Under-18 Team), who also had a goal in the contest, picked up an assist on the three-on-three overtime winner.
Lucas Van Vliet (Livonia, Mich./U.S. National Under-18 Team) opened the scoring 6:23 into the contest with a power play blast from the top of the circles to put Team Blue up 1-0. Team White leveled the score 1:16 later as James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y./U.S. National Under-18 Team) capitalized off a nifty saucer pass from Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass./U.S. National Under-18 Team) on a two-on-one opportunity.
Team Blue regained the lead with 3:56 to go in the opening frame, as James Reeder (Glenview, Ill./Dubuque Fighting Saints) netted a power play tally with a redirect. Philippe Blais-Savoie (San Jose, Calif./Tri-City Storm) and Van Vliet picked up assists on the play.
Team White made it a 2-2 game just 56 seconds into the middle frame when EJ Emery (Compton, Calif./U.S. National Under-18 Team) buried a rebound off a shot from Hagens on an odd-man rush.
Both squads made substitutions in goal at the 10:56 mark in the second period as Thatcher Bernstein (Boston, Mass./Dubuque Fighting Saints) entered the game for Team White while starter Nick Kempf (Chicago, Ill./U.S. National Under-18 Team) exited with 28 saves. Team Blue’s Caleb Heil (Victoria, Minn./Sioux Falls Stampede) subbed on for Jack Parsons (Ithaca, N.Y./U.S. National Under-18 Team), who made 15 stops through the opening 30:56 of action.
Stiga gave Team White its first lead of the game 51 seconds into the final frame when he rifled one home from the slot off a backhand feed from Christian Humphreys (Pittsburgh, Pa./U.S. National Under-18 Team).
Baker gave Team White a 4-2 lead at 2:34 after a strong effort by Kristian Epperson (Mequon, Wis./U.S. National Under-18 Team) to carry the puck into the offensive zone before finding Baker out front.
Finn McLaughlin (Hudson, Wis./Youngstown Phantoms) answered for Team Blue at 5:31 with a rocket from the high slot. Shane Vansaghi (St. Louis, Mo./U.S. National Under-18 Team) and Max Plante (Hermantown, Minn./U.S. National Under-18 Team) added helpers on the play.
At the 12:41 mark, Trevor Connelly (Tustin, Calif./Tri-Cit Storm) forced a turnover and found Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass./U.S. National Under-18 Team), whose shot deflected off a defender and in to send the game to overtime.
Mustard got the game winner, picking up a perfect pass from Baker at center ice and streaking down the left wing before wiring the puck past Bernstein.
Heil finished with 16 stops in the win, while Bernstein had two.
NOTES: James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.), who had a goal and an assist, was named the Player of the Game … Team Blue outshot Team White, 32-31 … All 45 players who competed in today’s game are committed to NCAA programs… For more information about the Chipotle All-American Game, click here