U.S. National Team tops Phantoms, 4-2

Mahoning Valley outshot the U.S. squad, 13-5, in the final period.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Brett Bennett made 38 saves and Greg Squires and Brennan Vargas each had a goal and an assist to lead the U.S. National Under-17 Team to a 4-2 win over the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in North American Hockey League action at the Ice Cube.
The U.S. (28-9-4) took advantage of an early turnover in the Phantoms zone. After a pass deflected off a defenseman's stick, Brennan Vargas gathered the loose puck and fired a quick snapshot that bounced off Ryan Zapolski's left arm and behind him for a 1-0 lead just 50 seconds into the game.
Switches hands
But the Phantoms, 23-14-4 quickly bounced back. Dennis Urban had the puck on his stick alone in the high slot with traffic in front. Rather than shoot, he skated forward, switched to his backhand, and floated a low shot past a screened Brett Bennett for a 1-1 game at the 2:10 mark. It was Urban's sixth goal of the season, as the Phantoms controlled the first period, outshooting the U.S. 16-6.
The U.S. regrouped and took early charge of the second period. Trailing in after a loose puck on the right wing, Greg Squires gathered the rubber, skated into the slot and flipped a nifty backhand between the legs of Zapolski for a 2-1 lead at 3:19. Exactly four minutes later, another loose puck in front of the Phantoms goal was picked up by Matt Rust. His wrister beat Zapolski on the glove side for his sixth goal of the season and the U.S. was up by two.
The Phantoms cut the deficit when Owen Meyer brought the puck in on the right wing, one-on-one. With Matt Quigley trailing in for a possible two-on-one, Meyer put on the brakes and peeled to the right. Instead of passing, he shot a backhand low that beat Bennett for his 16th of the season and the Phantoms trailed 3-2 with 3:53 left. Later in the period, leading goal-scorer Drew Satterley was injured when he collided with a U.S. player in front of the Phantoms bench and bruised his shoulder. Satterley would not return.
Turned conservative
The U.S. played more conservatively in the third period in protecting their lead. Like they did against Traverse City the night before, the Phantoms outshot the U.S. 13-5 in the final period, but could not convert on two power play opportunities in the final 20 minutes.
Colin Wilson added an insurance goal with 4:29 left to close out the scoring. James vanRiemsdyk got the assist.