MONCTON, New Brunswick – The U.S. National Junior Team will play its third of four preliminary round games in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship here today against Switzerland. Opening faceoff is set for 5 p.m. local/4 p.m. ET at the Avenir Centre, and the game will be broadcast live by NHL Network.

Team USA comes into the game tied for third in Group B with three points and a 1-0-0-1 record (W-OTW-OTL-L), while Switzerland is tied for the Group B lead with four points and a record of 0-2-0-0.

Despite outshooting Slovakia, 36-26, Team USA dropped a 6-3 decision to Slovakia yesterday. Tyler Boucher contributed a pair of power play goals in the contest for the U.S. Team USA started the tournament with a 5-2 win over Latvia in its opening game on Monday (Dec. 26).

Switzerland – which did not play yesterday -- gained a 3-2 overtime victory over Finland in their tournament opener on Monday, and on Tuesday beat Latvia, 3-2, in a shootout. 

SERIES HISTORY

The U.S. has faced Switzerland 24 previous times in the World Juniors and has never lost, with 22 wins and two ties. The last meeting between the two teams came this past August with the U.S. getting a pair of goals from Carter Mazur on the way to a 7-1 victory in preliminary round play of the 2022 World Juniors.

Following today’s game, the U.S. will have a day off before battling Finland in its final preliminary round game on New Year’s Eve. Faceoff is set for 5 p.m. local/4 p.m. ET. All Team USA games will be aired live on NHL Network.