U17's win Five Nations opener over Czechs

Ryan Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal and collected two assists, as the U.S. Under-17 Select Team defeated the Czech Republic, 5-3, in Huttwill, Switzerland, today in its opening game of the 2010 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament.

"It was a tremendous effort by our special teams today," said Sean Tremblay, head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team. "I was very pleased with our penalty kill. This victory is a great first step towards winning this tournament."

The Czech Republic scored the game's lone first-period goal, but Team USA rallied to take a 2-1 lead early in the second. Troy Donnay (Fenton, Mich.) scored the equalizer just one minute into the middle frame on a rebound off of a shot by Zach Stepan (Fairbault, Minn.).

Less than four minutes later, Miles Koules (Los Angeles, Calif.) notched a breakaway goal to give Team USA its first lead. Fitzgerald sent a pass the length of the ice and connected with Koules, who shot the puck between the legs of Czech goaltender Marek Langhamer.

After the Czech Republic evened the score, 2-2, the U.S. regained its lead when Nicholas Schilkey (Smiths Creek, Mich.) picked up a rebound in front of the net and scored at the 14:10 mark of the second period.

The Czechs responded to tie the game, 3-3, early in the third. But Fitzgerald scored to put the U.S. ahead for good at the 6:21 mark of the final period. After Grant Webermin (Novi, Mich.) sent a transition pass up the ice to Stepan, Fitzgerald crashed the net and redirected a feed from Stepan for the eventual game-winning goal.

Sam Piazza (Darien, Ill.) closed out the scoring midway through the final frame when he skated in alone from the point to the high slot and fired a shot that beat Langhamer low to the stick side.

U.S. goaltender Brandon Hope (Canton, Mich.) made 15 saves in the victory, while Langhamer stopped 39 shots in the loss.

The U.S. Under-17 Select Team will next face Slovakia on Friday (Aug. 20) at 9:30 a.m. EDT.

NOTES: Team USA was 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Czech Republic went 3-for-13 with the man-advantage ... The U.S. outshot the Czech Republic, 44-18 ... The 2010 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament includes teams from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States ... Sean Tremblay is serving as head coach and Matt Herr as assistant coach. Tremblay served as the assistant coach for the gold medal-winning U.S. Under-17 Select Team at the 2006 Under-17 Three Nations Tournament in Rochester, N.Y. He serves as general manager and head coach of the Eastern Junior Hockey League's New Hampshire Junior Monarchs. Herr has been the head varsity hockey coach at the Kent School in Kent, Conn., since 2005. Tremblay and Herr are both Level 4 USA Hockey certified coaches ... For the full Team USA roster, visit USAHockey.com ... The U.S. Under-17 Select Team was chosen following the annual USA Hockey Boys' Select 16 Player Development Camp, held June 25-July 1, at the Sports Centre at MCC in Rochester, N.Y. The camp provides top young players with concentrated on- and off-ice training and instruction as well as the opportunity to compete at a national level against other players from their age group.