Team USA Forward, #74, T.J. Oshie, scores the game-winning shoot-out goal in the 7th round versus Italy as Team USA won 3-2
OLOGNE, Germany - T.J. Oshie (Warroad, Minn./St. Louis Blues/Univ. of North Dakota) scored three times in the shootout, including the decisive goal in the seventh round, to lift the U.S. Men's National Team to a 3-2 victory over Italy here today in the final game for both teams at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Championship.
"I'm proud of our players," said U.S. Head Coach Scott Gordon. "After the tough start we had, we did a nice job coming back and winning our final three games."
Team USA won the relegation pool to finish 13th in the 16-team tournament.
The U.S. got the lone goal in the opening period at 11:45 and it came from tournament point-leader Brandon Dubinsky (Anchorage, Alaska/New York Rangers). While on the power play and withDavid Moss (Livonia, Mich./Calgary Flames/Univ. of Michigan) camped in front of Italian netminder Daniel Bellissimo, Dubinsky blasted a shot from the left faceoff dot that went into the upper corner of the net. Andy Greene (Trenton, Mich./New Jersey Devils/Miami Univ.) and Ryan Potulny (Grand Forks, N.D./Edmonton Oilers/Univ. of Minnesota) assisted on the play.
Italy's Giulio Scandella got free between the circles and beat Scott Clemmensen (Des Moines, Iowa/Florida Panthers/Boston College) between the legs at 14:00 for the only goal of the middle frame. Clemmensen had 10 saves in the period, including a few from point-blank range. The U.S. nearly took the lead late in the period, but Bellissimo slid across the net to foil Mike Lundin's (Apple Valley, Minn./Tampa Bay Lightning/Univ. of Maine) attempt from the left edge of the crease.
Italy took a 2-1 lead at 6:49 of the third period when Stefano Margoni's wrist shot from the left point eluded Clemmensen. With Team USA on the power play, Potulny tied the game at 11:08 when he put home a rebound following Dubinsky's initial shot.
The U.S. had a few golden chances down the stretch to win the game, most notably Moss' point-blank backhand shot from the edge of the crease, but was not able to solve Bellissimo. Italy pulled its netminder in the waning seconds, hoping to win in regulation.
Both teams had chances in overtime. Clemmensen stopped Luca Ansoldi on a break 1:40 into the extra session, while Dubinsky fired one over the net from in close and Keith Yandle(Boston, Mass./Phoenix Coyotes) was stopped from the center slot.
The shootout, normally three rounds, went seven rounds. Both teams scored on its first attempt, including Oshie for Team USA, but each team missed on their final two chances to send the shootout into extra rounds. After Clemmensen stopped Alexander Egger in the top of the seventh round, Oshie froze Bellissimo with a fake and fired the puck over his glove and into the upper corner of the net.
Clemmensen turned aside 26 shots to earn the victory. He finished the tournament with a 1.56 goals-against average and .941 save percentage as Team USA's goaltender of record in all six of its games.
The U.S. Men's National Team concluded play in the 2010 IIHF World Men's Championship with a record of 2-1-2-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L). Team USA will not know what group it will play in during next year's World Championship until this tournament is concluded and the world rankings are updated.
NOTES: Brandon Dubinsky was named U.S. Player of the Game ... Scott Clemmensen, Dubinsky and Matt Greene (Grand Ledge, Mich./Los Angeles Kings/Univ. of North Dakota) were named Team USA's three best players of the tournament ... Italy's goal at 14:00 of the second period ended a stretch of 156:02 in which the U.S. did not yield a goal in the World Championship ... The U.S. had a 52-28 shots-on-goal advantage ... The IIHF World Men's Championship relegation round featured each group's last-place team. Each team played three round-robin games, with the bottom two teams relegated to Division I in next year's World Championship ... For Team USA's roster, click here... Coverage of the 2010 U.S. Men's National Team can be found here... All Team USA games, as well as additional international games, will air on Universal Sports and at UniversalSports.com. Visit UniversalSports.com for the full schedule ... All teams in the 2010 IIHF World Men's Championship may begin the tournament with 20 skaters and three goaltenders, and can add two players after the first three games ... Scott Gordon, head coach of the NHL's New York Islanders, is the head coach of the 2010 U.S. Men's National Team, with Todd Richards, head coach of the NHL's Minnesota Wild, Joe Sacco, head coach of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, and Ron Rolston, one of two head coaches at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program,serving as assistant coaches ... The 2010 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of Brian Burke, general manager; David Poile, associate general manager; and Jim Johannson, assistant executive director for hockey operations at USA Hockey. The U.S. Men's National Team Advisory Group, which also includes NHL front-office personnel Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia Flyers), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles Kings), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Don Waddell(Atlanta Thrashers), is charged with leading the selection of players for the U.S. Men's National Team ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams.
GAME SUMMARY
Scoring By Period
| USA | 1 - | 0 - | 1 - | 0 - | 1 - | 3 |
| ITA | 0 - | 1 - | 1 - | 0 - | 0 - | 2 |
First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Dubinsky (A. Greene, Potulny), 11:45 (pp). Penalties: ITA, De Marchi (interference), 2:32; USA, Johnson (tripping), 9:13; ITA, De Marchi (roughing), 11:35; ITA, De Marchi (hooking), 16:22.
Second Period - Scoring: 2, ITA, Scandella (Souza), 14:00. Penalties: USA, Nystrom (hooking), 3:17; ITA, Ansoldi (hooking), 5:24; USA, M. Greene (roughing), 8:23; USA, Johnson (slashing), 16:47; ITA, Scandella (roughing), 16:47.
Third Period - Scoring: 3, ITA, Margoni (Johnson, Iannone), 6:49; 4, USA, Potulny (Dubinsky, Gilroy), 11:08 (pp). Penalties: ITA, De Bettin (hooking), 3:19; ITA, Johnson (delay of game), 11:00.
Overtime - Scoring: None. Penalties: None.
Shootout - Round 1 - USA, Oshie (goal); ITA, Egger (goal); Round 2 - USA, Johnson (no goal); ITA, Scandella (no goal); Round 3 - USA, Potulny (no goal); ITA, Ansoldi (no goal); Round 4 - ITA, Egger (no goal); USA, Oshie (no goal); Round 5 - ITA, Fontanive (goal); USA, Oshie (goal); Round 6 - ITA, Fontanive (no goal); USA, Oshie (no goal); Round 7 - ITA, Egger (no goal); USA, Oshie (goal).
