Team DC Offensive Explosion Continues in Finale Win

For the second straight day Team DC used a second-period offensive explosion to break open a close game and earn a victory at America's Showcase in Pittsburgh. Team DC scored three times in the opening three minutes of the second period to turn a deficit into a 4-2 lead and then cruised to a 7-5 victory in a consolation game against Massachusetts Sunday.

With the victory, Team DC finished the event with a 3-1 record, the team's most victories in the Showcase since before 2012. The win also pulled DC into an tie in points with Colorado Burgundy and Texas in the Pool B overall event standings. Colorado beat Team DC, 7-2, on Friday to essentially win the Freedom Division and earn a berth in the quarterfinals.

Heading into Sunday's late games it appears as though Team DC can finish no lower than third out of 24 teams in overall goals scored and will be first among teams that played four games. Florida currently has 29 goals through five contests. and Illinois has 19 through four. Those two teams play Sunday night at 9 p.m. in a semifinal game.

As of this writing, forwards Devin Lowe (Team Maryland 18U AAA/Dulaney co-op) and Griffin Long (Washington Little Caps 18U AAA/St. John's) are tied for second among all boys' scorers with eight points apiece and tied for first in points per game at 2.0 per contest. Lowe had four points in Sunday's win against Massachusetts to finish with three goals and five assists, while Long finally potted a pair of goals to go along with an assist to wind up with two goals and six assists.

Defenseman Wyatt Hinkson (Team Maryland 16U AAA/DeMatha), who led the team with four goals, also ranks among the tournament scoring leaders with six points. Every skater on the DC roster recorded at least a point in the tournament, with all but one player notching at least two points.

"I knew we would be able to score goals," Team DC head coach Rob Trantin said, "but it was really fun to watch this team play hard and come together offensively in the last two games. We didn't always make it easy on our goaltenders, but both of them did a solid job of making the big saves and allowing the offense to do it's thing. It's a shame we weren't clicking in the loss to Colorado, but to go 3-1 this year was a nice step forward for us. I think we were as talented as almost any team here. "

Sunday's game started pretty much like every other. For the third time in four contests Lowe got Team DC on the board first, taking a deflected pass from Long and streaking between two defenders before firing a shot through the goalie's five hole 10:47 into the contest. That tally lit a fire under Massachusetts, however, which snuck a pair of shots past goalie Matt Schaab (Calvert Hall) to take a 2-1 advantage into the break.

Just like in the previous game against Arizona, though, the Team DC offense came alive in the second period, netting three goals in the first 3:18. Nathan Dailey (Howard Huskies 18U AA/Mount St. Joseph's) started the scoring spree with a beautiful deflection of Hinkson's point shot. Brener Granston (Tri-City 16U AA/Montgomery Blair) picked up the second assist on Dailey's marker.

Next it was time for Ty Brandt (Team Maryland 18U AAA/DeMatha) to get on the scoresheet off a feed from high school teammate Jake Kaplan (Tri-City 18U AA/DeMatha) from behind the net. Kaplan filtered a pass through traffic to Brandt on the doorstep. He was stopped once, but lifted the second shot over the goalie's pad for a 3-2 DC lead at 1:29 of the second.

Then, less than two minutes later it was time for Long, who had been making a living setting up his teammates, to notch his first goal of the tourney. Lowe grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone, and both guys took off for the offensive zone to create a 2-on-1 before Lowe sauced a soft backhand pass to his linemate, who swatted it past the goalie. Hinkson broke up an offensive rush before the scoring play to pick up an assist for his second helper of the game.

Team DC took a break from scoring during the next 10 minutes or so, but got its fourth goal of the period from John Cardellicchio (Reston Raiders 18U AA/Gonzaga) at 13:32 to take a 5-2 lead into the final frame. Lowe created the scoring chance again, racing up the left wing and laying another backhand pass onto the stick of Dennis Kuzminov (Team Maryland 18U AAA/St. Mary's Ryken), who was robbed by the goalie before Cardellicchio buried the rebound for his second goal of the tournament. Kuzminov earned his fifth assist of the weekend by putting the first shot on goal.

The third period was back and forth and a little sloppy at times. Massachusetts actually outscored Team DC, 3-2, in the final 20 minutes, including a tally in the final 10 seconds of the game.

For DC in the final period Long sniped his second of the game from way out, beating the goalie high on the glove side with a rocket after getting a feed from Dailey, who earned his second point of the game. Kaplan ended the scoring for Team DC with 2:24 left, beating the goalie 1-on-1 after getting a long, lofted pass from Lowe that set up the breakaway as he headed for the bench for a line change.

Schaab was strong throughout the game, turning aside 26 shots for his first victory of the Showcase.

"I'm really proud of what the kids accomplished here," Trantin said. "The three victories were great and set us up nicely to be in consideration for an A Pool spot next year -- and set the standard for future teams to live up to. But for me, the effort our kids gave on the ice, as well as how they carried themselves off the ice, is what I am most happy about. Our guys turned the heads of the scouts for their play and then earned compliments for being fine young gentlemen. That's what Team DC is all about."

Next year America's Showcase will head to St. Louis for the first time. The Team DC staff would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the folks who have worked so hard behind the scenes to put on this amazing event in Pittsburgh for so many years. Their hard work and organization does not go unnoticed, and we are very thankful for all that that they have done on behalf of youth hockey players in the Washington, DC area. See you in St. Louis!

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