Team USA Defeats Denmark, 5-0, in First Men’s Worlds Tilt
HERNING, Denmark – A two-goal performance from Matty Beniers (Hingham, Mass./Seattle Kraken/University of Michigan) and a shutout from Joey Daccord (North Andover, Mass./Seattle Kraken/Arizona State University) helped lift the U.S. Men’s National Team to a 5-0 victory over Denmark in its opening game of the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship here tonight at Jyske Bank Boxen.
“I thought we played well overall,” said Ryan Warsofsky, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. “It was a fun environment, and we look forward to building off tonight and get ready for Hungary on Sunday.”
Alex Vlasic (Wilmette, Ill./Chicago Blackhawks/Boston University) sent an outlet pass to Frank Nazar (Mount Clemens, Mich./Chicago Blackhawks/University of Michigan) to generate a breakaway opportunity with 3:45 left in the opening frame, but his chance was denied by Danish netminder Frederik Dichow.
HIGHLIGHTS
Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale, Ariz./Anaheim Ducks/Boston College) opened the scoring for the U.S. at 17:52. He collected a pass from Michael Kesselring (New Hampton, N.H./Utah Mammoth/Northeastern University) and scored on the ensuing breakaway chance, wristing a shot over Dichow’s left shoulder.
Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Utah Mammoth/University of Minnesota) extended the U.S. lead to 2-0 at 3:59 of the second frame as he banked the puck into the net off Dichow from behind the goal line following a scramble near the crease. Conor Garland (Scituate, Mass./Vancouver Canucks) and Tage Thompson (Orange, Conn./Buffalo Sabres/University of Connecticut) assisted on the goal.
Beniers crashed the net hard, deflecting a rebound home following a shot off the stick of Andrew Peeke (Parkland, Fla./Boston Bruins/University of Notre Dame) from the side of the right faceoff circle to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead at 8:32.
Daccord stood tall just over a minute into the third frame, as he made multiple stops to keep Denmark off the board. He finished the contest with a 26-save shutout in his first-ever start with Team USA.
A shot from the point off the stick of Mason Lohrei (Madison, Wis./Boston Bruins/Ohio State University) snuck through Dichow’s five-hole to give the U.S. a 4-0 advantage at 9:31. Beniers added his second tally of the game at 16:16 on a one-timer from the slot following passes from Gauthier and Will Smith (Lexington, Mass./San Jose Sharks/Boston College) to account for the 5-0 final.
Team USA takes on Hungary in its second game of the preliminary round Sunday (May 11) at 12:20 p.m. local time (6:20 a.m. ET). All U.S. games during the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship can be seen live on NHL Network.
NOTES: Matty Beniers was named U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. was 1-2 on the powerplay, while Denmark went 0-1 with the man-advantage … Team USA outshot Denmark, 48-26.
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Source: usahockey.com