The Yale Bulldogs outshot the US National Under-18 team 41-20, including 5-2 in overtime, but it was not enough for a victory as the squads skated to a 3-3 tie in front of 1,923 at Ingalls Rink for Yale’s final exhibition game.
The Elis got two goals from Chris Higgins, including a shorthanded score midway through the first period to give Yale the 1-0 lead. Joe Callahan added two assists. T.J. Hensick added a goal and an assist for Team USA.
Yale controlled the puck for much of the first period, outshooting Team USA 10-2 in the opening stanza.
“That is a great team for us to play,” Yale head coach Tim Taylor said. “They are about as fast as anyone we’ll face, and we matched them in the first period. We skated the way we wanted to in the first. I have talked to the team about establishing a style or character of our own, and the first period was the first real glimpse of it I’ve seen this year.”
Fifteen seconds into the second frame, Chris Higgins put Yale on the board again, taking a feed from Joe Callahan and firing it past USA goalie Chris Holt from between the circles. Holt recorded 37 saves on the day.
Team USA cut the Yale lead in half just over four minutes later. Ryan Maki poked the puck past Eli netminder Peter Cohen (10 saves) at the 4:44 mark. Exactly three minutes later, the national team tied the score. Hensick took a pass from Matthew Cohen at the left side of the net just in front of the goal line and managed to sneak one past the Bulldog goaltender.
Ryan Trowbridge scored at 9:40 with Callahan picking up his second assist of the game. Shots were even at 10-10 for the period, and Yale entered second intermission up 3-2.
Yale switched goaltenders for the third period, with Josh Gartner taking over, and Team USA’s Dustin Collins tied the score 4:34 into the stanza. Collins took a feed from Hensick and blasted the puck into the net from just outside the left circle.
Yale hosts North Dakota next Saturday at 7 p.m.; Team USA takes on Findlay on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
