Cade Groton scored the go-ahead goal in the first period, and Washington Little Capitals 18U held off the challenges of Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U in a tough 3-1 win.

Washington Little Capitals 18U took over the lead for good with a goal by Groton at 11:51 in the first period. Ryan Leibold picked up the assist.

Washington Little Capitals 18U was led by goalie Alex Chen, who finished with 31 saves while allowing one goal. The solid play of Chen will be reflected in his goals against average, which pre-game was 3.05.

Washington Little Capitals 18U was paced by Leibold, who racked up one goal and one assist. Leibold scored 2:00 into the third period to make the score 2-0 Washington Little Capitals 18U.

Washington Little Capitals 18U managed to stay out of the box better than usual, registering one minor for two minutes in penalty time. Washington Little Capitals 18U wound up below its season average of 12.0 penalty minutes per game. Washington Little Capitals 18U forced Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U goalie Joseph Giacobbo to work between the pipes, taking 42 shots.

Justin Daves also scored for Washington Little Capitals 18U. More assists for Washington Little Capitals 18U came via Adam Beyerlein and Alec Cordova, who contributed one each.

Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U's offense operated below its season average. Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U averages 3.5 goals per game. Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U's offense rang up 32 shots on Washington Little Capitals 18U's net.

Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U was led by Eric Lauk, who scored the team's only goal. Lauk scored 14:40 into the third period to make the score 2-1 Washington Little Capitals 18U. Jacob Tomita assisted on the tally.

Washington Little Capitals 18U registered zero goals on two power play opportunities. Giacobbo recorded 39 saves for Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U. Philadelphia Little Flyers 18U incurred four minutes in penalty time with two minors.