Thunder top Team USA; extend point streak to five games

Posted on March 12, 2017

bloomington thunder logoBy WJBC Staff

BLOOMINGTON – Four players found the back of the net, Logan Halladay made 19 saves, and the Bloomington Thunder stretched their point streak to five games with a 4-1 win over Team USA on Sunday afternoon at the Bloomington Coliseum.

Alec Mehr tallied a goal for the second consecutive game to give the Thunder (21-23-4-3, 49 pts) a first period lead they wouldn’t relinquish, and Wyatt Kalynuk, Vlad Dzhioshvili and Brady Smith also scored, helping the Thunder earn four of a possible six points in a three-game weekend.

A Brown University commit, Mehr struck just 6:51 into the opening period off a great set up by defenseman Charlie Raith. After the U17s cleared their defensive zone, Raith immediately raced back over the line and from the high slot found Mehr open in the right circle. Mehr caught the pass in stride and snapped a shot over Team USA goaltender Keegan Karki’s blocker to give the Thunder the first goal of the game for the fourth consecutive game.

Bloomington added to that lead with Kalynuk’s sixth goal of the season in the opening minutes of the second period. Kalynuk dodged a pair of Team USA skaters while crossing into the offensive zone and beat Karki upstairs at the 3:02 mark of the middle stanza.

Team USA (17-29-3-0) trimmed its deficit down to one with a power-play goal from Jonathan Gruden at the 15:45 mark of the second period, but the Thunder responded only 121 seconds later to increase their lead back to two. It was the leading scorer Dzhioshvili who put home a shot from in tight to make it a 3-1 game with 2:14 left in the second. The goal was the 19th of the season for the Moscow, Russia, native.

Bloomington native and Wisconsin commit Brady Smith added the final touch, beating Karki on a laser from the right circle with 2:27 left to put the Thunder up by three. Christiano Versich posted an assist on the goal, giving him six points in his first six games with Bloomington.

In goal, Halladay yielded two goals or fewer for the fifth consecutive start. He also contributed offensively, assisting on Kalynuk’s goal for his second point of the season.

The Thunder play their final non-conference games of the season, traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face the Stars on Friday and Saturday night. After that series, Bloomington will have played every team in the USHL.

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