OTTAWA, Ontario – Trey Augustine (South Lyon, Mich./Michigan State University) made 26 saves to become the all-time winningest American goaltender in World Juniors history as the U.S. National Junior Team, which got goals from Gabe Perreault (Hinsdale, Ill./Boston College), Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass./Boston University), Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass./Boston College) and Oliver Moore (Mounds View, Minn./University of Minnesota), earned a 4-1 victory over Czechia in the semifinals of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship here tonight.
Team USA will face Finland in the gold-medal game tomorrow (Jan. 5) at 7:30 p.m. ET live on NHL Network.
“I’m proud of our guys,” said David Carle (Anchorage, Alaska/University of Denver), head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team. “We played an excellent Czech team and it was a very difficult game. We continue to grow as a group and we’ll get set to face another great team in Finland tomorrow.”
HIGHLIGHTS
Leonard set up a breakaway chance for Perreault with a nifty pass from his knees after a tough zone entry. Perreault made the most of the opportunity, sliding the puck through Czech netminder Michael Hrabal’s five-hole 3:14 into the contest.
Jakub Stancl scored an equalizer for Czechia at 9:28 from the left circle.
Leonard nearly regained the lead for Team USA with 1:36 remaining in the opening stanza, but his breakaway chance was denied.
Eiserman scored what proved to be the game-winner as he blasted a one-timer home from the top of the right circle off a perfect feed from Trevor Connelly (Tustin, Calif./Providence College) on the power play at 13:41 of the middle frame to give the U.S. a 2-1 advantage. Cole Hutson (North Barrington, Ill./Boston University) started the play and earned an assist on the tally.
Augustine made a highlight-reel toe save on the goal line following a rebound with 11:39 remaining in the third period to keep the U.S. in the lead.
Aram Minnetian (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Boston College) set up a two-on-one opportunity with a stretch pass during a Czechia line change to Perreault, who sent a feed to Leonard which he buried to extend the U.S. lead to 3-1 with 4:27 remaining.
Moore added an empty-net goal on the power play at 18:53 to account for the 4-1 final.
NOTES: Gabe Perreault, who recorded a goal and an assist, was named U.S. Player of the Game … Czechia outshot the U.S., 27-25 … Team USA went 2-for-4 on the power play, while Czechia was 0-for-3 … The U.S. will play in the gold-medal game of the World Juniors for the second straight year.
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Source: usahockey.com