GANGWON, South Korea — Parker Trottier (Edina, Minn.) tallied a pair of goals and JP Hurlbert (Allen, Texas) scored the game-winning shootout goal to send the U.S. Youth Olympic Men's Hockey Team to the gold-medal game with a 6-5 victory over Canada in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games semifinals at Gangneung Hockey Centre on Tuesday.
"Very proud of our team and their effort the entire game," said Joe Bonnett (Canton, Mich.), head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Men's Team. "All three lines and six defense contributed and Xavier Wendt had an outstanding game. The team chemistry is really coming together and we look forward to playing in the championship game against Czechia."
Team USA will face Czechia in the gold medal game on Wed., January 31. Puck drop is set for 6:00 a.m. ET.
The U.S. shut down Canada on a pair of power plays and goaltender Xavier Wendt (Plymouth, Minn.) made 17 saves to hold Canada scoreless in the opening frame.
Team USA took a 1-0 lead 1:39 into the second period when Trottier picked the corner with a wrister from the bottom of the circle.
Canada evened the score 40 seconds later with a breakaway goal from Alessandro Di Iorio.
Less than a minute later, Hurlbert put the U.S. back in the lead after he lined up a wrist shot in the slot that beat the glove of goaltender Carter Esler. Logan Stuart (Los Angeles, Calif.) picked up an assist on the play.
Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll (Midway, Utah) extended the U.S. lead to 3-1 at 4:44 in the middle stanza, netting a rebound from Zane Torre (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) after a scramble in front of the net.
Zachary Nyman capitalized on a three-on-five power play to bring Canada within one of the U.S. lead at the 7:38 mark of the second period.
Canada knotted the score at three apiece when Mathis Preston found the back of the net 29 seconds into the final third.
GAME PHOTOS
Team USA regained the lead after Trottier netted a one-timer from the slot off a feed from Mikey Berchild (Excelsior, Minn.) for his second goal of the game at the 2:22 mark.
With 6:30 remaining in regulation, Preston snuck the puck past Wendt to tie the game at 4-4, but Berchild responded for the U.S. two minutes later when he buried a rebound from Tyler Martyniuk (Washington Twp., Mich.).
Canada tied the score at 5-5 with 2:02 to play following a tally from Nyman to send the game to a shootout.
Wendt stopped all three Canadian shooters, and Hurlbert scored to seal the 6-5 shootout victory and send Team USA to the gold-medal game.
Wendt made 37 saves in goal.
NOTES: Canada outshot the U.S. 42-17… Team USA will compete for gold in the Youth Olympic Games for the third time since the inaugural event in 2012… Team USA last won gold in 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway.
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