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Gameday: U.S. U18 Men's National Team Faces Finland in Quarterfinals

By USA Hockey, 04/25/19, 4:45AM EDT

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Puck drop set for 9:30 a.m. ET on NHL Network

The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team faces Finland its quarterfinal matchup at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship here at Fjallraven Center (Ornskoldsvik), Sweden. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. local/9:30 a.m. ET and will be televised in the U.S. live on NHL Network.

USA vs FIN PREVIEW
All-time, the U.S. is 10-1-0-6-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) against Finland and has outscored them 48-36. This will be a rematch of the 2015, 2017, and 2018 finals. Team USA won in 2015 and 2017, and the Finns won last year’s tournament in the gold-medal game 3-2.

Finland finished the preliminary round at 1-0-0-3 (W-OTW- OTL-L). Finland is coming off a 12-0 victory against Switzerland on Tuesday (April 23), its lone win of preliminary play. Finland's losses came against Canada (5-3) on Thursday (April 18), Belarus (4-3) on Friday (April 19) and the Czech Republic (4-2) on Sunday (April 21.) 

Finland ranks 5th in goals per game with 20 from preliminary play, while Team USA leads first place with 31. Finland is led by Aantonen Leevi, who has five points (1G, 3A) in four games. 

QUARTERFINAL HISTORY
The U.S. will play in its 12th quarterfinal matchup in the 21-year history of the IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship. In the previous 10 quarterfinal matchups the U.S. has only lost once. The loss came back in 2001 when the U.S. made its first appearance in the quarterfinals. The U.S. lost to the Czech Republic 5-4 in overtime. Since that point, the U.S. has won ten straight quarterfinal matchups, including three against the Czech Republic, more than any other country.

CAUFIELD TAKING U.S. GOALS RECORD
Following his tenth goal of the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship in the victory against Latvia, forward Cole Caufield (Stevens Point, Wis.) has surpassed Phil Kessel and Brett Sterling to take first place for goals scored by U.S. skaters in a single tournament. Going into the quarterfinal matchup, Caufield has 11 goals in just four games and is four goals shy of taking the single-tournament goal-scoring record, currently held by Alex Ovechkin at 14.

DEFEATING LATVIA
Cole Caufield and John Beecher (Elmira, N.Y.) each recorded two goals apiece in Team USA's 7-1 victory over Latvia in its final preliminary round game at Fjallraven Center. Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.) made 12 saves in the victory.

EDGING RUSSIA
Team USA rallied from a 2-0 deficit on the way to a 6-3 victory over Russia in its third preliminary round game on Sunday (April 21.) Jack Hughes (Orlando, Fla.), Alex Turcotte (Island Lake, Ill.), Matthew Boldy (Millis, Mass.), Cole Caufield and Matthew Beniers (Hingham, Mass.) scored for Team USA, and Spencer Knight made 20 saves in net.

TOPPING SLOVAKIA
Cole Caufield 
and Jack Hughes each scored four goals in the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team’s 12-5 victory over Slovakia in its second preliminary round game at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship Sunday (April 21) at 9:30 a.m. ET against Russia at Fjallraven Center.

STRONG VS. SWEDEN
Cole Caufield
 recorded a hat trick and Spencer Knight 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.

BRINK ADDED
Forward Bobby Brink (Minnetonka, Minn.) has been added to the roster of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team it was announced today (April 21) by USA Hockey. The University of Denver commit spent 2018-19 with the United States Hockey League’s Sioux City Musketeers and recorded 70 points (35G, 35A) in 45 games. Brink represented Team USA at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge, where he recorded eight points in six games to help the U.S. claim first place. Landon Slaggert, who was initially named to the roster and played in two exhibition games, has been released from the roster. The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team now includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders.

 

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

U.S. Roster

Tournament Homepage


2019 U.S. U18 World Championship News