EDMONTON, Alberta – Nash Roed (White Bear Lake, Minn.) scored three goals, while Gavin Burcar (Coto De Caza, Calif.) contributed one goal and two assists, propelling the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team to a 5-2 win over Slovakia in the semifinals of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup today at Rogers Place.
With this victory, Team USA will move on to the championship match, scheduled for tomorrow (Aug. 8) against the winner of tonight’s semifinal between host Canada and Finland. The puck will drop for Saturday’s title game at 5 p.m. MT/ 7 p.m. ET, and it will be broadcast live on NHL Network in the U.S.
“We were proud of the effort our guys showed today,” stated Reid Cashman (Red Wing, Minn.), head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team. “Both special teams performed exceptionally well. We are eager to compete in the championship game tomorrow night.”
Slovakia took the lead when Alexander Michael Ferreira sent the puck wide of the net from the point, causing it to bounce off the back wall and land on the stick of Patrik Rychlik just above the goal line. Rychlik turned towards the net and fired a shot short-side past U.S. goaltender Mason Courville (Palmyra, Pa.) 3:50 into the game.
With just over seven minutes left in the first period, the U.S. seemed to equalize, but the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference.
GAME PHOTOS
GAME STATS
With 1:53 left in the first period, Burcar equalized for Team USA with a power play goal from the top of the left circle, finding the net through a screen provided by Colin Grubb (Burlington, N.D.). Ryland Rooney (Dellwood, Minn.) and Joey Cullen (Moorhead, Minn.) assisted on the play.
Roed put the U.S. ahead 2-1 at the 2:39 mark of the second period, scoring on a rebound just outside the crease from a shot by Becker Wenkus (Edina, Minn.). Burcar also assisted on this goal.
Roed netted his second goal of the match 3:48 later by intercepting the puck directly off an offensive-zone faceoff and lifting it past Slovakia goaltender Jakub Husar from the bottom of the left circle, extending the U.S. lead to 3-1.
Rychlik picked up a loose puck in the U.S. zone while Slovakia was shorthanded and slid it past Courville to narrow the score to 3-2 at the 8:35 mark of the second period.
At 5:17 of the third, Jake Prunty (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) passed the puck from the point to Grubb beneath the circles, who then found Ethan Sung (Pasadena, Calif.) with a back-door pass, allowing Sung to score from just outside the crease and give the U.S. a 4-2 advantage.
Roed completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 12 seconds remaining, finalizing the score at 5-2.
Courville made 21 saves to secure the win in goal for the U.S.
NOTES: Nash Roed was named U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. outshot Slovakia, 44-23 … The U.S. converted 1-7 on the power play, while Slovakia was 0-1.
