PLYMOUTH, Mich. – The 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase got underway here today at USA Hockey Arena with USA White rallying for a 3-2 win over Finland, before USA Blue topped Sweden by a 7-2 count in the second game of the afternoon.

The event serves as an evaluation for athletes seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, set for Dec. 26, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025, in Ottawa, Ontario.

Below are brief recaps from the two games.

HIGHLIGHTS

USA White skated to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Finland in the first game of the day.

Finland maintained a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes with its goal coming at 2:48 from Joona Saarelainen off the rebound of Keikki Ruohonen’s initial shot. Team USA’s best chance came on a shorthanded breakaway from Carey Terrance (Akwesasne, N.Y.) at 13:46.

Quentin Musty (Hamburg, N.Y.) got the U.S. on the board 5:50 into the middle frame, finishing the rebound off an initial shot from Tanner Adams (Northport, N.Y.). Mac Swanson (Anchorage, Alaska) also drew an assist on the play.

Saarelainen put Finland back in the lead 2:23 later and Finland had a 2-1 advantage after 40 minutes.

Cole Hutson (Chicago, Ill.) tied things up at the 6:41 mark of the third, scoring far side off a near impossible angle from the bottom of the left circle.

James Reeder (Glenview Ill.) put home the game-winner with just 59.6 seconds to play, burying a one-timer past home from the high slot, after connecting with Hutson at the blue line.

Sam Hillebrandt (Riverview, Fla.) played the opening 28:13 in net for the U.S. and made four saves on five shots, while Carsen Musser (Sherburn, Minn.) went the rest of the way and stopped all 13 shots he saw.

GAME PHOTOS

Max Plante (Hermantown, Minn.) opened the game’s scoring 5:15 into the contest, connecting with James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.) in the low slot. Paul Fischer (River Forest, Ill.) tallied an assist on the play as well.

Brandon Svoboda (Level Green, Pa.) made it a 2-0 game with 8:39 left in the first, burying an initial Zeev Buium (San Diego, Calif.) spin-o-rama move off a feed from Noah Powell (Northbrook, Ill.).

Brodie Ziemer (Hutchinson, Minn.) tacked on a third to the U.S. tally with 3:55 to go in the first with some nifty stick-work along the goal line, flipping the puck past Swedish goaltender Olof Glifford. Joe Willis (Elmhurst, Ill.) and Fischer earned assists on the goal.

Gabe Perreault (Hinsdale, Ill.) extended USA Blue’s lead to 4-0 with a power-play marker just before the game’s halfway mark, chipping in his own rebound. Plante and Buium collected assists.

Perreault notched the only other goal of the middle frame at 11:47 off a quick pass from Hagens in the high slot. Linemate Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) earned an assist as well.

Lukas Fischer (Brighton, Mich.) made it a 6-0 game with a zinger from the blue line, then Oliver Moore (Mounds View, Minn.) added a seventh with 10:08 to play.

Isac Hedqvist got Sweden on the board with 2:50 remaining, capitalizing on a scramble net front, then Jack Berglund brought the final tally to 7-2 in the final minute of play.

Trey Augustine (South Lyon, Mich.) played the first half in the U.S. net, stopping all 11 shots he faced, while Hampton Slukynsky (Warroad, Minn.) had x saves on x shots.

GAME PHOTOS