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Gameday: U.S. Takes on Host Czech Republic in Semifinal

By USAHockey.com, 05/03/19, 5:30AM EDT

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Olympic Channel to broadcast 2019 Para Ice Hockey World Championship tilt live at 2 p.m. ET

The United States meets host Czech Republic in the semifinal round of the 2019 Para Ice Hockey World Championship. Puck drop at Ostravar Arena is set for 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast live in the U.S. on the Olympic Channel.
     The winner of tonight's semifinal tilt will advance to play Canada in tomorrow's gold-medal game. That game is set for a 4:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET) puck drop at Ostravar Arena. Tonight's loser will face off against South Korea in tomorrow's bronze-medal game at 1 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET). Both games will be broadcast in the U.S. on the Olympic Channel.
     In Paralympic and World Championship play, this is just the fifth meeting between the U.S. and Czech Republic. A year ago, the two teams faced off in preliminary-round play at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games -- a 10-0 win for Team USA. All-time, the U.S. is 3-0-1-0 and has outscored the Czechs, 17-2.

TEAM USA IN SEMIFINAL PLAY
All-time, the U.S. is a perfect 5-0 in semifinal play at the world championship. Its last semifinal game in world championship play came on home ice in Buffalo, New York, where the U.S. defeated Norway, 6-0. Nine different U.S. players, including current U.S. players Josh Sweeney (1g, 1a), Declan Farmer (1g), Brody Roybal (1a) and Luke McDermott (1a) tallied a point as Steve Cash registered the shutout victory. 

HOST TEAM BRINGS THE CROWD
The U.S. is excited of its semifinal opponent and the challenge it brings with an expected full crowd on Friday. Through four games, the host nation has averaged an attendance of 6,767 fans per game. Additionally, the tournament-opening (April 27) 10,173 spectators for the full day set a new single-day tournament record. That same day's Czech Republic vs. Japan tilt established a single-game record crowd of 7,224 spectators, which was then eclipsed on Tuesday (April 30) when the host nation's tilt against Italy brought in 7,700 fans.

2009 GOLD-MEDAL GAME IN OSTRAVA
In 2009, the world championship took place in Ostrava and saw the United States meet Norway in the gold-medal game. There, the back-and-forth affair came to a decisive end with 11 seconds to play in regulation when Taylor Chace passed the puck to Andy Yohe who tallied the game's only goal to give the United States its first-ever world championship title. 

OFF-DAY IN PRAGUE
On Wednesday, Team USA took time away from Ostrava to visit Prague. The three-hour train ride started just before 8 a.m. local time, giving the team an 11:30 a.m. arrival in the city. From there, players and staff dispersed throughout the city until catching a train back to Ostrava around 8 p.m.
     Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it's known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.

Date Opponent Result U.S. Player of the Game Venue Broadcast
April 27 Canada W, 3-1 Noah Grove Ostravar Arena Olympic Channel - Live
April 28 South Korea W, 4-0 Josh Pauls Ostravar Arena Olympic Channel - Live
April 30 Norway W, 10-0 Luke McDermott Ostravar Arena Olympic Channel - Live
May 3 Czech Republic
Semifinals
W, 10-2 Jack Wallace Ostravar Arena Olympic Channel - Live
May 4 Canada
Gold-Medal Game
OTW, 3-2 Declan Farmer Ostravar Arena Olympic Channel - Live
NBCSN (5:30 p.m. ET)

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2019 - Ostrava, Czech Republic

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