U.S. Junior Select Team Wins 2024 World Junior A Challenge Title With 7-4 Victory Over Sweden
CAMROSE, Alberta – Multiple-point performances from Will Zellers (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Lucas Van Vliet (Livonia, Mich.) helped the U.S. Junior Select Team capture the 2024 World Junior A Challenge championship, as Team USA defeated Sweden, 7-4, tonight (Dec. 15) to secure its 10th tournament title.
“I’m so proud of our guys,” said Matt Smaby (Minneapolis, Minn.), head coach of the U.S. Junior Select Team. “They earned their championship with all the work they put in over the last two weeks. They played hard and they played together. I couldn’t be more proud of how our team came together and played a team game.”
Van Vliet opened the scoring for the U.S. just 37 seconds into the first frame, as he wristed a shot over Swedish netminder Love Härenstam’s left shoulder. Van Vliet’s third tally of the tournament was assisted by Reid Daavettilla (Howell, Mich.) and Brendan McMorrow (Lakeville, Minn.).
Zellers extended Team USA’s lead, as he corralled a rebound and fired a shot home on the power play to give his team a 2-0 advantage.
GAME PHOTOS
U.S. Netminder Caleb Heil (Victoria, Minn.) kept Sweden’s Arvid Drott off the scoresheet just over five minutes into the second, as he smothered a two-on-one opportunity. Heil’s efforts in net were rewarded moments later, as Zellers scored his second of the night at 5:22 following a feed from Ben Kevan (Fairfield, Calif.).
Sweden’s Morgan Anderberg cut the U.S. lead to 3-1 at 8:58 with an unassisted goal. Team USA’s advantage was trimmed to one 2:06 later, as Theo Stockselius scored a power-play goal for Sweden.
Ryan Rucinski (Broadview Heights, Ohio) scored the second U.S. power-play goal of the night at 4:46 of the final period to extend his team’s lead back to two. Rucinski scored off a feed from Ryker Lee (Wilmette, Ill.), who picked up his first point of the tournament on the play.
Jakob Ihs-Wozniak responded right back with a goal for Sweden at 6:59. Ivar Stenberg tied the contest, 4-4 at 11:25.
Finn McLaughlin (Arlington Heights, Ill.) regained the lead for the U.S. 1:21 later, as he cut toward the net and buried the puck past Love Härenstam at 12:46. Empty-net goals from John Stout (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Luke Osburn (Plymouth, Mich.) sealed a U.S. victory and accounted for the 7-4 final score.
A delayed broadcast of tonight’s championship game will be aired on NHL Network tomorrow (Dec. 16) at 2 p.m. ET.
NOTES: The U.S. finishes the 2024 World Junior A Challenge with a record of 5-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) … Team USA outshot Sweden 24-21 … The U.S. went 2-for-4 on the power play, while Sweden went 1-for-4 … Will Zellers was named the U.S. Player of the Game.
2024 Junior Select Team Roster 
2024 World Junior A Challenge 
World Junior A Challenge History
Source: usahockey.com