FRISCO, Texas – The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team will take on Sweden today (May 2) in the semifinals 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.
Tickets for today's semifinal game can be purchased online here. 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. SWE
LINES – COMING SOON!
Team USA has advanced to the semifinal round of the Under-18 Men's World Championship in 22 of the last 23 tournaments and looks to return to the gold-medal game for the fourth consecutive tournament.
The U.S. skated past Latvia, 6-3, in quarterfinal play Wednesday (April 30). Cullen Potter (Minneapolis, Minn.) opened the scoring early in the first period, followed by Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) and Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) to give the U.S. a 3–0 lead. Latvia answered with two power-play goals in the second, cutting the deficit to one. Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.) responded with a shot that bounced off the boards and the Latvian goalie to make it 4–2. LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) added a goal in the third, and Potter sealed the win with an empty-netter.
In 20 total semifinal games, the U.S. is 11-5-2-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L). This will be the fourth meeting between Sweden and Team USA in the semifinal round and first since 2017 (April 22, 2017) as the U.S. is a perfect 2-1-0-0. In the three meetings, the U.S. has scored 14 total goals compared to Sweden's six.
The two teams met in preliminary round play earlier in the tournament (April 26) as the U.S. won, 6-3, for Sweden's only loss in the tournament and for Team USA to secure the top spot in Group B. Sweden beat Finland, 7-2, in the quarterfinal round and has the most goals for with 36.
The 2025 Under-18 Men's World Championship wraps up tomorrow with the bronze-medal game set for 2:30 p.m. local, 8:30 p.m. ET, with the gold-medal game at 7:00 p.m. local, 8:00 p.m. ET. Both games will broadcast live on NHL Network.
OF NOTE:
The U.S. has skated in 22 of the last 23 semifinal games and has faced Sweden three times (2005, 2014, 2017). The U.S. has beat Sweden all three times and has gone on to win gold those three years.
Mooney sits t-14th in the U.S. record books for most points all-time at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. In 12 total games, Mooney has recorded 17 points, tied with Cam York (2018, 2019), as he totaled 11 points this tournament on top of his six from last year. Mooney, the sole returner from the 2024 U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team, tallied two goals and four assists at last year's tournament. Mooney is five points away from breaking into the top-10.
With a total of 13 assists between the two tournaments, including nine this year, Mooney sits t-6th all-time in in the U.S. record book for most helpers. He sits one assist behind Rocco Grimaldi for the top-5, and is seven assists away from Cole Hutson (2023, 2024) who holds the U.S. record with 20.
As a team, the U.S. has allowed the second-fewest goals in five games with 11 and is t-2nd for least amount of power play goals allowed with three.
Gallant leads Team USA with five goals as Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.) is behind with four. Entering today's game, Berchild leads all underage skaters at the tournament in goals, while Gallant leads the tournament in shorthanded tallies (2).
Team USA is in search of its 12th gold medal in tournament history; the 11 prior golds are the most of any competing team in U18 Men’s World Championship history.
Source: usahockey.com