The Spartans were quick to get on the board as it tallied 4:16 into the first to put Team USA in a deficit. The U.S., though, held strong as starting U.S. netminder Luke Carrithers (Maple Grove, Minn.) turned aside 15 shots in the opening frame to keep the Spartans at one tally after one.
AJ Garcia (Romeoville, Ill.) made it a tie game at 12:48 of the first to make things square headed into the locker room. Garcia obtained the puck from Lutner and skated through the neutral zone and dashed across the ice in the offensive zone. A shot from atop the faceoff circle flew through traffic and beat starting Michigan State netminder Melvin Strahl.
The Spartans controlled the second period as it recorded a pair of goals, the only goals scored in the middle period, with the opener at 4:32, followed by a power play goal at 8:33…