LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Four different players scored for Team USA, but the U.S. squad fell to Russia, 6-4, at the 2009 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in the Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid. It was Team USA’s first loss to Russia at the camp.

Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn.) logged two assists and Team USA’s power play connected on three out of 10 chances, but was unable to take advantage of multiple five-on-three opportunities.

“The effort was there tonight, and I think we outshot them two-to one,” said Dean Blais, head coach of the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team. “But you can’t give up two or three soft goals and expect to win. With one game left against the Russians tomorrow night, we’ll need to respond.”

Russia gained its first lead of the camp when Viatcheslav Kulemin took advantage of a misplay by goalie Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) just one minute into the game. Team USA knotted the score five minutes later, when Vinny Saponari (Powder Springs, Ga.) snapped a shot past Russian goalie Alexey Trifonov for a power-play goal.

Team USA fell behind once again when a long slap shot from Maxim Chudinov beat Maxwell high to the glove side at 7:23 of the first. Robbie Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) responded for the U.S. squad, banging home a loose puck in the crease to tie the score, 2-2, going into the first intermission.

A pair of goals by Alexander Chiglintsev and Vladimir Tarasenko gave Russia a 4-2 edge heading into the final frame. Team USA responded with an early third-period power-play goal by Matt Donovan (Edmond, Okla.), but Russia put the game away with unassisted tallies by Alexander Burmistrov and Sergey Ostapchuk.

Philip McRae’s (Chesterfield, Mo.) power-play blast at 16:57 accounted for the 6-4 final.

Trifinov stopped 29 shots in the win, while Maxwell made 11 saves in the game.
 
NOTES: Team USA has won two of the three games held between the two teams at the camp … The USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp will feature one more games between Team USA and Russia tomorrow night (Aug. 15) … Full camp coverage, including stats, photos and features, are available at usahockey.com … The 2010 U.S. National Junior Team, to be selected later this year, will participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask., Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period - Scoring: 1, RUS, Kulemin (Ostapchuk), 1:04; 2, USA, Saponari (Wideman, Morin), 6:38 (pp); 3, RUS, Chudinov (Vasilyev), 7:23; 4, USA, Czarnik (Johnson), 13:35. Penalties: USA, Kreider (tripping), 1:22; RUS, Team (too many men), 2:51; RUS, Timkin (hooking), 5:41; RUS, Lazarev (high sticking), 8:19.

Second Period - Scoring: 5, RUS, Chiglintsev (Tarasenko, Burmistrov), 5:09 (pp); 6, RUS, Tarasenko (Berdyukov), 12:54. Penalties: USA, Donovan (hooking), 3:43; RUS, Klementyev (hooking), 10:08; RUS, Lazarev (tripping), 11:27; USA, McRae (boarding), 12:33; RUS, Klementyev (cross checking), 18:03.

Third Period - Scoring: 7, USA, Donovan (Stepan, Kristo), 2:37 (pp); 8, RUS, Burmistrov (unassisted), 5:49; 9, RUS, Ostapchuk (unassisted), 12:24 (sh); 10, USA, McRae (Stepan, Ness), 16:57 (pp). Penalties: RUS, Berdyukov (cross checking), 2:19; RUS, Kostev (cross checking), 8:18; RUS, Kugryshev (elbowing), 9:14; RUS, Kostromitin (roughing), 15:07; RUS, Chiglintsev (delay of game), 15:46; USA, Budish (slashing), 16:31; RUS, Kostromitin (hitting from behind, misconduct), 17:59.

Power Play: USA 3-10; RUS 1-4
Penalties: USA 4-8; RUS 14-36