BOSTON UNIVERSITY EDGES US UNDER-18 TEAM, 3-2

Pete MacArthur scored the game-winner for the Terriers

BOSTON - The Boston University men's ice hockey team captured a 3-2 victory over the U.S. National Under-18 Team in an exhibition game on Saturday evening at Agganis Arena. Senior Pete MacArthur scored the game winner at 8:06 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie.

Freshman Victor Saponari and senior Kevin Kielt each scored a first-period goal to give the Terriers an early two-goal lead, but the visitors scored the lone tally of the second period before knotting the contest at the 1:54 mark of the third.

MacArthur provided the heroics when he snuck the puck past USA netminder Joe Cannata with a wrister from the left side on a power play stemming from a five-minute charging major.

Freshman goaltender Adam Kraus made 23 saves in a winning effort from the Terriers. Cannata recorded 26 stops for Team USA.

The Terriers opened the scoring in the seventh minute of play with a goal in transition. Saponari collected the puck in the BU zone and pushed it up to sophomore Luke Popko, who brought the puck up the ice before leaving it for a trailing Saponari. The freshman drove to the net before backhanding a shot past Cannata at the 6:59 mark.

With 4:29 left in the opening period, sophomore Steve Smolinsky gathered the puck in the left corner before sending it behind the net to junior John McCarthy. McCarthy eluded a defender before skating through the right circle and feeding Kielt at the point. The senior defenseman sent a shot through traffic that eluded Cannata to make it a 2-0 affair.

Team USA got on the board with a power-play tally at the 16:31 mark of the second when Saponari's younger brother, Vinny, converted from the left circle off a great set-up from Jordan Schroeder.

In the second minute of the third, Robbie Czarnik sent in a rebound off a shot by Sam Lofquist to knot the game at 2-2.

Kielt headed to the penalty box for hitting after the whistle at 3:27 of the third, but came at the same time as a five-minute major on Team USA's Grant Scott. BU used the resulting three-minute power-play chance to tally the game winner.

Freshman Kevin Shattenkirk chased after a puck that was pushed out of the USA zone and sent a pass along the left boards to MacArthur before heading to the bench for a line change. MacArthur brought the puck back into the zone and skated in before finding just enough space between Cannata and the left post to register the winner.

Team USA pressured in the closing minutes, but its last good chance of the night resulted in a shot that glazed off the left pipe, allowing BU to earn the victory.

The Terriers will close the first half of their season when they play host to Dartmouth on Thursday, Dec. 13. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.