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BRNO, Czech Republic – The U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team defeated Sweden, 7-0,  here this evening to win the gold medal at the 2012 International Ice  Hockey Federation Men’s World Under-18 Championship. Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) had two goals and three assists, and Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped all 27 shots he faced, as Team USA captured its fourth straight gold medal in the tournament.

“I’m very proud of how our players conducted themselves throughout this tournament,” said Danton Cole, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team. “We worked hard,  played a very disciplined game and never let up. These players deserve  to call themselves champions.”

The U.S. scored first at 18:45 of the opening period when Thomas Di Pauli (Woodridge, Ill.) jammed the puck past Swedish netminder Oscar Dansk. Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.) and Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) collected assists on the goal. Team USA led Sweden, 1-0, heading into the first intermission.

Daniel O’Regan (Needham, Mass.) doubled the U.S. advantage at 8:26 of the second  stanza when he deked and scored on Dansk after a turnover by Sweden. J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) added to the Team USA lead on a wristshot from the left faceoff circle. Kerdiles  and Seth Jones (Plano, Texas) assisted on the tally.

 Skating  four-on-four, Kerdiles sank his own rebound at 17:48 off the leg pad of  Marcus Hogberg, who replaced Dansk in goal for Sweden. Olson made 10  saves in the frame to keep Sweden off the board and Team USA went into  the second intermission with a 4-0 lead.

The U.S. continued to pressure Sweden’s defense and notched a goal 18 seconds into the  third period when Hartman snuck the puck under the crossbar on the  backhand. Kerdiles and O’Regan picked up the assists. Connor Carrick (Orland Park, Ill.) gave Team USA a six-goal cushion when he wristed a  shot from inside the blue line past Hogberg. Kerdiles earned the lone  assist and capped the game with his second tally of the evening,  securing the gold medal for the U.S.

 NOTES: Collin Olson was named Team  USA’s Player of the Game and also received the   directorate award as the tournament’s best goaltender … Olson, Seth Jones and Matthew Lane (Rochester, N.Y.) were named Team USA’s best three players … Team USA outshot Sweden, 45-27  … The U.S. has captured a record nine   consecutive medals at the IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship,  including four gold medals in a row (2009-12), back-to-back gold medals  in 2005-06, two silver medals (2004, 2007) and one bronze  (2008). Team  USA also captured the gold medal in 2002 … Team USA’s 10 overall medals are most ever at the IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship … For additional coverage, visit USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Facebook page … A full recap of Team USA at the 2012 IIHF Men’s World Under-18  Championship, including game recaps, photos and videos, can be found on USAHockey.com … The U.S. Mens National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary software program that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period – Scoring:  1, USA, Di Pauli (Copp, Hartman), 18:45. Penalties: USA,  Compher (slashing), 10:32; USA, Hartman (tripping), 16:35.

Second Period – Scoring: 2, USA, O’Regan (unassisted), 8:26; 3, USA, Compher (Kerdiles,  Jones), 12:47; 4, USA, Kerdiles (unassisted), 17:48. Penalties:  USA,  Skjei (holding), 16:38; SWE, de la Rose (tripping), 16:42.

Third Period – Scoring: 5, USA, Hartman (Kerdiles, O’Regan), 0:18; 6, USA, Carrick  (Kerdiles), 7:53; 7, USA, Kerdiles (Osterberg), 19:44. Penalties: USA,  Trouba (holding), 9:18.