ORNSKOLDSVIK, Sweden – Cole Caufield (Stevens Point, Wis.) recorded a hat trick and Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.) made 29 saves in the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team’s 6-1 victory over Sweden in its first preliminary game at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship Thursday (April 18) at the Fjallraven Center.
“It was a really good start,” said John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis.), head coach of the Under-18 Men’s National Team. “We have a short turnaround, but we set up our exhibition schedule to prepare for this. We’re going to rely on our training going into tomorrow against a tough Slovakian team and the guys will be ready to go.”
Sweden got on the board first 5:44 into play when Alex Brannstam carried the puck down the slot and slid the puck in between the legs of Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.), scoring the lone goal of the period.
Caufield tied the game 4:47 into the second frame when he capitalized on a two-on-one with a pass from Matthew Boldy (Millis, Mass.).
Team USA took the lead 39 seconds later when John Beecher (Elmira, N.Y.) capitalized on his own rebound, bringing the score to 2-1 Team USA after 40 minutes of play.
Just 21 seconds into the final stanza, Case McCarthy (Clarence Center, N.Y.) brought the score to 3-1 with a one-timer from the point. Cam York (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) tallied an assist on the play.
Caufield scored his second of the night when he intercepted a Boldy pass for a breakaway goal 3:02 into the third, before he completed the hat trick on the power play 2:13 later.
With 3:01 to go in the game, Alex Turcotte (Island Lake, Ill.) concluded the scoring when he registered a power-play goal by converting on a rebound following a shot from Jack Hughes (Orlando, Fla.), accounting for the 6-1 final.
NOTES: Cole Caufield was named U.S. Player of the Game … Team USA outshot Sweden 42-30, went 2-for-6 on the power play and killed off all four penalties faced … Team USA news, interviews, highlights and more can be found at TeamUSA.USAHockey.com ... For the official IIHF home for the U18 Men's World Championship, click here ... All 22 players on the U.S. roster come from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program … The U.S. enters the tournament having captured a record 15 consecutive medals, including gold medals in seven of the last ten years (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017) ... Team USA has won 10 gold medals all-time, the most of any country in IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship history.
HIGHLIGHTS
GAME PHOTOS
2019 U.S. Tournament Schedule
All games at Fjallraven Center
| DATE | OPPONENT/ROUND | LOCATION | TIME (LOCAL/ET)/RESULT | TELEVISION | U.S. Player of the Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., April 12 | Finland Exhibition |
Heinola, Finland | L, 0-1 | None | Cam York |
| Sat., April 13 | Switzerland Exhibition |
Heinola, Finland | W, 8-0 | None | Jack Hughes |
| Thu., April 18 | Sweden Preliminary |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
W, 6-1 | NHL Network | Cole Caufield |
| Fri., April 19 | Slovakia Preliminary |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
W, 12-5 | NHL Network | Jack Hughes |
| Sun., April 21 | Russia Preliminary |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
W, 6-3 | NHL Network | Alex Turcotte |
| Tue., April 23 | Latvia Preliminary |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
W, 7-1 | NHL Network | John Beecher |
| Thu., April 25 | Finland Quarterfinals |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
W, 6-0 | NHL Network | Jack Hughes |
| Sat., April 27 | Russia Semifinals |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
L, 2-3 (SO) | NHL Network | Cole Caufield |
| Sun., April 28 | Canada Bronze-Medal Game |
Fjallraven Center Ornskoldsvik, Sweden |
W 5-2 | NHL Network | Cam York |
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