skip navigation

U.S. Defeats Canada 5-3; Sweden Tops Finland 6-3

By USA Hockey, 08/03/19, 3:15PM MDT

Share

World Junior Summer Showcase Concludes

In the final game of the World Junior Summer Showcase, the U.S. defeated Canada, 5-3, at USA Hockey Arena.

Earlier in the day, Sweden used a hat trick from Samuel Fagemo to defeat Finland, 6-3.

USA 5, Canada 3

The U.S. nearly opened the scoring five minutes into the frame off a quick transition play. Starting behind Team USA’s own goal, U.S. goaltender Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.) backhanded a pass into the corner where Ty Emberson (Eau Claire, Wis.) sent a clearing pass up the ice to a streaking Nick Robertson (Northville, Mich.). As Robertson entered the neutral zone, he found Alex Turcotte (Island Lake, Ill.) at the right wall where he drove toward goal before sliding a shot through the crease and away from the left post.

Both goalies stood tall during the mid-portion of the period — including a pair of saves by Knight during a Canadian powerplay — as each team searched for the game’s opening goal. 

With 5:07 to play in the opening frame, Oliver Wahlstrom (Quincy, Mass.) gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead during a two-man advantage. With two Canadian players in the penalty box, the U.S. powerplay went to work generated a pair of chances before Trevor Zegras (Bedford, N.Y.) found Cam York (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), who surveyed the zone before dishing to Wahlstrom at the right face-off dot for a low-waisted shot past Canada’s goaltender, Alexis Gravel. 

Canada responded just a minute later, however, when an odd-man rush ended with Braden Schneider beating Knight low glove-side.

Just :55 after Canada evened the score, Cole Caufield (Stevens point, Wis.) put the U.S. back in the lead with a sharp-angled powerplay goal. After a chance in close wouldn’t go, Turcotte collected the puck behind Canada’s goal, avoided two poke-checks by Canadian defenders and shifted the puck over to the bottom right face-off circle where Caufield hesitated before firing a shot over Gravel’s shoulder and into the top-left corner.

Two quick goals 2:43 into the second frame gave Canada a 3-2 lead. Nolan Foote was behind both goals, first beating Knight less than a minute into the frame with a close-ranged effort before then claiming the primary assist on Joe Veleno’s redirected powerplay goal.

With Canada trying to push its lead on a man-advantage, Knight was called upon again to make a monumental save. The play started at the blue line, where Alexis Lafreniere waited for a shooting lane to open before throwing the puck to the left of goal where Kirby Dach collected the pass mid-spin as he tried stuffing the puck inside the far post but was met by Knight’s quick left-leg.

K’Andre Miller (Minnetonka, Minn.) then evened things up with a long-ranged shot from the right point with 5:26 to play in the frame. Trevor Janicke (Maple Grove, Minn.) started the play by cycling behind Canada’s goal and dishing it up the wall to Miller, who collected the pass and held for a moment before firing it to the left-side of goal and past a screened Gravel.

Team USA needed just 26 seconds into the third period to reclaim the lead. After collecting the puck below the goal line,Jack Drury (Winnetka, Ill.) crept towards the slot before sending a low shot on goal that forced a rebound Joel Farabee (Cicero, N.Y.) was able to one-time into the empty net.

Just past the midway point of the frame, another long-ranged shot from the point found its way into net for a 5-3 U.S. lead. Robertson initiated the play, this time entering Canada’s zone and drawing a defender out of position before dropping the puck to an oncoming Ryan Johnson (Irvine, Calif.). After collecting the pass, Johnson stepped into a hard wrist shot that Turcotte was able to redirect into the top-left corner for a two-goal U.S. lead.

Highlights

Photos


Sweden 6, Finland 3

The game started with a four-goal first period as Finland and Sweden netted two goals apiece. Sweden's Samuel Fagemo starting the scoring 7:44 into the frame when he converted a 2-on-0 break over the shoulder of Finnish netminder Justus Annunen

After an unsuccessful first attempt, Team Finland connected on its second power-play opportunity just under five minutes later to tie the game at one. Defenseman Anttoni Honka slid a cross-ice pass to Patrik Puistola who finished a one-timer to equal the score, 1-1, with 7:51 remaining in the first.

Swedish forward Albin Eriksson restored his team's one-goal lead with a shorthanded marker late in the opening frame when he Eriksson stole the puck off the left sideboard, cut towards the center of the ice and finished with his forehand after a nice deke.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Finns tied the contest before the first intermission on a power-play goal from Honka with 35 seconds remaining. The defenseman received a pass at the left circle where Honka blasted a one-timer to tie the game at 2-2. Ville Heinola and Kristian Tanus assisted on the Finland score.

Team Sweden used three second-period goals to take a 5-2 lead after 40 minutes of play. Marcus Karlberg picked up the first when he ripped a wrister past Annunen at 5:35 of the second period.

David Gustafsson doubled the lead less than two minutes later when he converted on a quick wrist-shot from the right wing. Fagemo made it 5-2 when he connected for his second score of the afternoon at 13:14 of the middle frame after a Finnish defensive-zone turnover.

Finland cut into its deficit with the team's third powerplay goal of the game, this one again courtesy of Puistola. The forward took a pass from Heinola and deflected a backhand shot into the cage to make it a 5-3 game with 16:45 remaining in regulation.

With 3:46 to play in regulation, Fagemo completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal to account for the 6-3 final.

U.S. Roster as of July 29

2019 WJSS

2020 World Juniors


2019 World Junior Summer Showcase Game Schedule

Date Game Time (ET) Broadcast Tickets
Friday, July 26 USA Blue vs. USA White USAW, 1-0 (SO) HockeyTV Free Admission
Saturday, July 27 USA White vs. Finland FIN, 3-2 HockeyTV BUY NOW
Saturday, July 27 USA Blue vs. Sweden USAB, 4-2 HockeyTV BUY NOW
Sunday, July 28 USA Blue vs. Finland USAB, 7-1 HockeyTV BUY NOW
Sunday, July 28 USA White vs. Sweden SWE, 2-1 (OT) HockeyTV BUY NOW
Tuesday, July 30 Canada vs. USA CAN, 4-1 HockeyTV BUY NOW
Wednesday, July 31 Canada vs. Finland FIN, 8-3 NHL Network BUY NOW
Wednesday, July 31 USA vs. Sweden USA, 6-0 NHL Network BUY NOW
Friday, August 2 Sweden vs. Canada CAN, 5-2 NHL Network BUY NOW
Friday, August 2 Finland vs. USA FIN, 6-5 NHL Network BUY NOW
Saturday, August 3 Sweden vs. Finland SWE, 6-3 NHL Network BUY NOW
Saturday, August 3 USA vs. Canada USA, 5-3 NHL Network BUY NOW

More WJSS News

2025 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster Released

By USA Hockey 12/02/2024, 1:59pm EST

Camp Set for Dec. 16-17 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.