FRISCO, Texas – The U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team is set to face Czechia today (April 23) to open preliminary round play of the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. local (8:00 p.m. ET) inside Comerica Center.
Today's game, and all Team USA games throughout the U18 Men’s World Championship, will broadcast live on NHL Network.
GAME STATS
GAME NOTES vs. CZE
LINES COMING SOON
The U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team finished pre-tournament play with one win and one loss after it fell in overtime to Norway, 4-3, followed by a 4-1 win over Finland.
In its first game against Norway, Team USA scored a trio of goals in the opening 10 minutes of play but fell in overtime inside Comerica Center, 4-3. Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.), Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.) and Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.) each tallied a goal in the contest.
Behind a pair of goals from Will Horcoff (Birmingham, Mich.), Team USA took its final pre-tournament game before the start of the preliminary round, 4-1, over Finland inside StarCenter Plano Ice Arena. Nine different skaters tallied at least a point, as Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) started in net and played 40 minutes, stopping all 21 shots faced.
Five players tied for the team lead in points between the two games with a pair, as Horcoff led in the goal column with two. Quinlan led the netminders with a 1.00 GAA.
LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) is the sole returner from the 2024 U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team which took home silver in Espoo, Finland, at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Mooney skated in all seven games for Team USA and tallied two goals and four assists for t-8th most points on the team last tournament.
ALL-TIME AGAINST CZECHIA
The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team is 16-2-1-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) all-time in 20 games against Czechia in the U18 Men’s World Championship. Its 18 wins are the most overall against any nation at the tournament. Eight of its 20 meetings have been in the preliminary round as Team USA holds a 7-1-0-0 record. The all-time history in the prelims between the two countries is below:
April 19, 2005 – USA 4, Czechia 3
April 15, 2006 – USA 5, Czechia 0
April 14, 2012 – USA 5, Czechia 0
April 20, 2013 – USA 4, Czechia 3
April 19, 2014 – USA 3, Czechia 0
April 17, 2017 – USA 5, Czechia 2
April 29, 2021 – USA 2, Czechia 1 (SOW)
April 24, 2022 – USA 6, Czechia 2
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Source: usahockey.com