USA wins world junior bronze after wild game against Sweden
In what can only be described as one of the craziest games in bronze medal history at the World Junior Championship, the United States of America pulled off the win with an 8-7 overtime result.
The bronze is USA’s fourth win over Sweden, and their sixth medal over the past eight years. Sweden finished in third last year after beating Czechia.
USA scored the lone goal of an otherwise quiet first period. After just 2:51, Jimmy Snuggerud outmuscled a Swedish defender to gain control of the puck. He sent the pass right in front to Logan Cooley, who made no mistake with the close shot to make it 1-0.
The second period, though, was one of the wildest of the tournament with nine goals combined. at 1:51, defenseman Ryan Ufko’s hard shot from the point beat Carl Lindbom cleanly to double up USA’s lead. But less than two minutes later, Jonathan Lekkerimaki found Filip Bystedt with a blind behind-the-back feed, with Bystedt making no mistake to get the Swedes on the board.
USA answered back a minute and a half later, with Chaz Lucius tallying his first of the tournament at 25:04. But the Swedes took control over the next three minutes, with Oskar Pettersson and Leo Carlsson each beating Trey Augustine to make it 3-3.
Goaltending appeared to be a struggle for both – a surprise given both goalie’s play up until this point. At 30:42, Cutter Gauthier’s one-timer on the power play gave USA its lead back, and Lucius’ second of th afternoon at 33:37 made it a 5-3 game. Sweden would end up tying things up late in the period, with goals for Milton Oscarson and Liam Ohgren just 26 seconds apart making it a 5-5 game heading into the third.
The Americans swapped goalies for the final period, with Kaidan Mbereko replacing Augustine. It didn’t start well, as Noah Ostlund beat Mbereko over the glove with a shot the American netminder would have wish he had.
Of course, the scoring wasn’t done. On the 35th shot between the two teams since the start of the second, Luke Hughes scored the 11th goal, this time making it 6-6. After getting hit by a defenseman, Hughes spun on his knees and slipped it under Lindbom’s pad for a surprising goal.
With just over two minutes left in the third, the Americans got a huge break with a power play. At 1:37, Rutger McGroarty jammed a rebound to the left of the Swedish net, giving the Americans the lead back. Sweden then pressed heavily with the net empty, and since defense was optional, Filip Bystedt scored on a broken play near the crease to make it 7-7, forcing overtime.
If anyone was going to score for the Americans in overtime, it was going to be the hot hand of Lucius. After Lane Hutson was stopped on an odd-man chance in close, Lucius joined in on the rush for a second chance. He made no mistake with a quick deke, giving USA the bronze medal.