KINDERSLEY, Saskatchewan — The U.S. Junior Select Team defeated Canada East, 7-1, to secure its spot in the 2014 World Junior A Challenge championship game Saturday (Dec. 20) at 3:30 p.m. ET against Denmark. Goaltender Eric Schierhorn (Anchorage, Alaska/Muskegon Lumberjacks) stopped 22 of 23 shots for the victory, while 12 players registered points in a well-balanced offensive effort from Team USA.
Team USA opened the scoring at 5:18 of the first period. Ryan Zuhlsdorf (Edina, Minn./Sioux City Musketeers) initiated the play, firing a shot from the left point that Mason Bergh (Eden Prairie, Minn./Chicago Steel) redirected on net. The rebound came to Tyler Sheehy (Burnsville, Minn./Waterloo Black Hawks), parked atop of the crease, who slapped it in to stake the U.S. to a 1-0 lead.
Less than one minute later, in the left offensive corner, Dakota Joshua (Dearborn, Mich./Sioux Falls Stampede) stole the puck from a Canadian defender and passed to Anthony Angello (Manilus, N.Y./Omaha Lancers) whose wrist-shot found twine and extended the lead. It would prove to be the game-winning goal.
Thomas Novak (River Falls, Wis./Waterloo Black Hawks) added to the U.S. lead at 9:48, scoring his second goal of the tournament.
With 6:12 left in the period, Canada East scored on a three-on-two to make it 3-1, but Team USA answered less than two minutes later, when Joshua centered a feed from the left corner to Joe Snivley (Herndon, Va./Sioux City Musketeers) who beat Canada’s Blade Mann-Dixon to make it 4-1.
The U.S. added a fifth goal at 16:29 of the first, as captain Kyle Connor (Shelby Township, Mich./Youngtown Phantoms) rushed up the left wing, cut into the slot and scored to make it 5-1.
At 8:16 of the second stanza, Novak faked a shot at the top of the left circle, passing to Dylan Gambrell (Bonney Lake, Wash./Dubuque Fighting Saints) for the net-front chip-in and the period’s lone goal.
The U.S. scored its seventh goal with 2:28 left in the third period when Zuhlsforf threw the puck on net from the top of the left circle, and Brock Boeser (Burnsville, Minn./Waterloo Black Hawks) redirected it past Mann-Dixon to give Team USA it’s final margin of victory. It was Boeser’s team-leading third goal of the tournament.
The U.S. Junior Select Team will now face Denmark in the championship game Saturday (Dec. 20) at 3:30 p.m. ET exclusively on TSN. Follow @USAHockeyScores for in-game updates and check USAHockey.com for Team USA coverage.
Notes: All players chosen for the 2014 U.S. Junior Select Team currently compete in the United States Hockey League, the only Tier I junior hockey league in the U.S. ... Thursday's contest was Team USA's 11th straight win at the World Junior A Challenge ... Team USA's all-time tournament record is 27-2-1-4.
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