Not many people would have predicted this. 

To the surprise of fans on both sides, the National Development Program Under-17 team fell to a team made up of Elite League All-Stars 4-3 on Sunday afternoon, giving Team USA two losses on the weekend to teams from the Elite League.

The teams battled for the bulk of the first period to a 0-0 score before Hermantown’s Tyler Watkins tacked on a goal for the Elite League Selects at the 17:13 mark of the period.

Team USA’s Patrick Giles tied the game 27 seconds later, rifling a shot past the Elite League’s first half goaltender Zach Stejskal of Grand Rapids. 

The Elite League Selects stole the momentum back with 46 seconds left in the first, as Stillwater’s Luke Manning converted a goal from Bemidji’s Brady Tatro. 

Blade Jenkins knotted the game at 2-2 with a goal less than two minutes into the second period, but Elite League’s Blake McLaughlin, another Grand Rapids product sniped a shot past Team USA’s Ryan Ullan to put the Elite League Selects ahead 3-2.

Watkins added his second goal of the game late in the second period, giving the Elite League Selects a 4-2 cushion heading into the third. 

Oliver Wahlstrom pulled Team USA within one goal at 4-3, but Jared Moe of Holy Family Catholic withstood the late surge as the Elite League Selects escaped with a 4-3 victory.