USA 5 - Castleton State 4

While most of the Icers players and staff enjoy the holiday week, two members of the team are on the ice with the World University Games team.

Senior Tim O'Brien and sophomore Eric Steinour have joined their WUG mates on a three-game exhibition swing through New England.  Icers head coach Scott Balboni is an assistant coach for Michigan Dearborn bench boss Dave Debol.

Last night in Rutland, Vt., Tim and Eric scored as Team USA beat NCAA Div. III Castleton State College 5-4 in overtime.

From the Castleton press release:

Team USA broke through just over 13 minutes into the contest as Eric Steinour (Carlisle, Pa./Penn State)

Eric Steinour

scored off a rebound.

Michael Lepre (Kent, Ohio/Kent State) rifled a shot from the point that Castleton goalie Seth McNary (Woburn, Mass.) turned away stick-side, but Steinour was able to control the loose puck and beat McNary high on his glove side.

Tim O'Brien (Bethel Park, Pa./Penn State)

Tim O'Brien

made it 2-0 for Team USA, converting with less than a minute to go in the opening period. 

O'Brien received a centering pass from Alan Dionne (North Scituate, R.I./Rhode Island) and bounced the puck off McNary's pad and in.

The two teams were full of the holiday spirit late in the second. Steinour and Dionne got early showers when they were both slapped (pun intended) with 5-minute majors and 10-minute and game misconducts for contact to the head.

Castleton took a rash of penalties late in the third, including a 5-minute major, that carried over into the extra frame. UM-D's Michael Macari scored the game winner on the power play with 1:07 left in OT.

The WUG team plays Div. II St. Michael's tonight at 7:00 pm, then wraps up the holiday exhibition tour Wednesday night at 8 against the Div. I Vermont Catamounts.