USA beats Sweden to win gold at 2024 World Junior Championship
It has quickly become one of the greatest rivalries in junior hockey, and the big game didn’t disappoint.
The United States beat the hosts from Sweden 6-2 on Friday, securing gold at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship.
It marked the fourth major meeting between the two hockey powerhouses in medal games over the past three years in U-18 and U-20 competitions. Sweden won gold at the 2022 U-18 World Championship, with USA winning gold in 2023 and bronze at the world juniors last year.
USA keeps the North American gold medal streak at five years, last winning in 2021 in Edmonton. Canada won it the other three years. Sweden has now lost the gold medal game in their past four attempts since winning it all back in 2012.
The first period saw the two teams trying to feel each other out, but the Americans left with a 1-0 lead. The Boston College friends capitalized on a delayed penalty, with Will Smith finding Gabe Perreault in front of the net for the redirection to break the ice.
The Swedes wasted little time tying things up in the second period. This time, Mattias Havelid’s point shot was tipped in by Otto Stenberg, beating Trey Augustine for the 1-1 goal. Things were looking good for the Tre Kronor until Isaac Howard’s two goals – one on the breakaway and a rough one from the goal line – made it 3-1.
But with five seconds left in the second, the Swedes gave their fans another reason to celebrate. Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored his fifth power-play goal of the tournament with a blast that hit off an American defenseman and in, cutting the lead to one. The goal also tied Lekkerimaki with Howard for first in tournament goal-scoring with seven apiece.
The Swedes needed a big goal early in the third to take advantage of the momentum. Instead, Zeev Buium’s shot beat Hugo Havelid low blocker side, making it a 4-2 hockey game. Sweden tried to get back on the board, but Ryan Leonard’s goal with four minutes ago, as well as an empty-netter from Rutger McGroarty, put any dreams of a late-game surge.
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