Rio Maior, Portugal - June 28 - The USA Men's Youth National Team earned their second straight win to open play at the World Aquatics Youth World Championship, defeating Italy 17-10.
Tyler Anderson anchored the offense with four goals with
Rafael Suarez-Abraham recording 12 saves in net. Team USA closes out group play tomorrow against Spain at 10am et/7am pt. Live streaming of all matches is available via the World Aquatics YouTube page by
clicking here. Follow live stats by
clicking here.
It was a low-scoring affair to start as Team USA blanked Italy 2-0 in the opening period. Anderson delivered the first strike less than two minutes into the game for a 1-0 lead. With less than a minute to play in the period, team captain
Kai Kaneko converted on a penalty shot to secure the two goal cushion. Italy got on the board early in the second quarter but Grayson and
Jett Taylor answered with goals for a 4-1 lead with 4:41 to go in the first half. Team USA kept the offensive pressure on and closed the period with a power play strike from
Dexter Black to snag a 7-3 lead at intermission.
Italy started to chip away in the third quarter and got within three at 8-5 with 4:46 to go in the period. Team USA responded with four straight goals to take their largest lead of the day at 12-5 with time winding down in the third.
Jackson Shaw, Kaneko, Anderson and Aiden Shin all scored during the surge. Up 12-6 at the start of the fourth, the United States sprinted to the finish line adding five more goals across the final eight minutes. Anderson opened the scoring followed a few minutes later by another from Black for a 14-7 lead with 6:12 to go in the match. Shin,
Wyatt Williamson and
Grayson Taylor rounded out the scoring en route to the 17-10 victory.
Team USA went 11/18 on power plays and 2/2 on penalties while Italy went 3/11 on power plays and 2/2 on penalties.
Scoring -
Stats
USA 17 (2, 5, 5, 5) T. Anderson 4. K. Kaneko 3, D. Black 2, J. Taylor 2, A. Shin 2, G. Taylor 2, J. Shaw 1, W. Williamson 1
ITA 10 (0, 3, 3, 4) A. Chianese 3, G. Marangolo 2, D. Polizzi 1, P. Puleo 1, B. Bordone 1, P. Porzio 1, F. Corelli 1
Saves - USA - R. Suarez-Abraham 12 - ITA - G. Bianchi 4, F. Giovannini 1
6x5 - USA - 11/18 -ITA - 3/11
Penalties - USA - 2/2 - ITA - 2/2
