U.S. waltzes to win
By Andrew Podnieks |
13 AUG 2022
USA’s Matt Knies with a scoring chance against Austrian goalkeeper Leon Sommer.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
Team USA defeated Austria 7-0 this afternoon at Rogers Place to keep a perfect 3-0 record and stay in first place of Group B. The loss leaves Austria winless in three games and puts them in a precarious position if they hope to make the playoff round.
This was only the 4th all-time meeting between the nations in World Junior history, the Americans having won the previous three.
The U.S. will finish their round robin tomorrow night against Sweden, while Austria wraps up their preliminary-round tournament on Monday afternoon against Switzerland in a game that might well decide which team advances to the quarter-finals and which goes home.
Eighteen-year-old Andrew Oke (11 shots) and 20-year-old Remington Keopple (4 shots) combined to stop just 15 shots and share the shutout in a game in which they were both making their Team USA debuts. At the other end, Leon Sommer was heroic for Austria, facing a tournament high 56 shots.
Seven players had two points for the winners, including Carter Mazur and Wyatt Kaiser, both of whom had two goals to pace the attack.
"First period, starting the game was pretty tough," Sommer said. "We got two quick goals against. But I like this kind of game. I got many shots, and mentally I felt good. I also try to get my team going by telling them to keep going and they tell me, too. So we're kind of a good group, and we help each other out mentally and on the ice."
"A quick start is something we really focus on," Mazur noted. "You really want to get to the other team and get the upper hand. I feel like if we do that every game, we're going to be in a good spot. And I liked how we stayed with our game. So I feel like bringing that into our next game against Sweden will be a really tough challenge, but I think we're ready for it."
This was only the 4th all-time meeting between the nations in World Junior history, the Americans having won the previous three.
The U.S. will finish their round robin tomorrow night against Sweden, while Austria wraps up their preliminary-round tournament on Monday afternoon against Switzerland in a game that might well decide which team advances to the quarter-finals and which goes home.
Eighteen-year-old Andrew Oke (11 shots) and 20-year-old Remington Keopple (4 shots) combined to stop just 15 shots and share the shutout in a game in which they were both making their Team USA debuts. At the other end, Leon Sommer was heroic for Austria, facing a tournament high 56 shots.
Seven players had two points for the winners, including Carter Mazur and Wyatt Kaiser, both of whom had two goals to pace the attack.
"First period, starting the game was pretty tough," Sommer said. "We got two quick goals against. But I like this kind of game. I got many shots, and mentally I felt good. I also try to get my team going by telling them to keep going and they tell me, too. So we're kind of a good group, and we help each other out mentally and on the ice."
"A quick start is something we really focus on," Mazur noted. "You really want to get to the other team and get the upper hand. I feel like if we do that every game, we're going to be in a good spot. And I liked how we stayed with our game. So I feel like bringing that into our next game against Sweden will be a really tough challenge, but I think we're ready for it."
Austria vs United States - 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship
AUT vs. USA
The Americans crammed a game’s-worth of offence in the first period alone – four goals, two loud goal posts, and 26 shots. And there was a theme – all scorers had sweater numbers that were multiples of 5 – 5, 15, 5, 20.
That #5 was Kaiser. He opened the scoring just 54 seconds into the game, his simple wrister beating Sommer cleanly. Less than two minutes later, it was 2-0 thanks to #15, Matt Coronato. He took a pass from Logan Cooley in behind the defence and deked Sommer thoroughly for the score.
Kaiser was back at it again at 11:40, scoring an almost identical goal to his first when another long wrister drifted over Sommer’s shoulder. Then #20, Red Savage, completed the scoring. His shot went in and out so quickly no one knew it had gone in. Video review stopped play and confirmed it hit the inside bar of the net.
There was little letting up in the second. Mazur scored a pair of goals 57 seconds apart to make it 6-0. His first came off a steal inside the Austria blue line, Sasha Pastujov feeding Mazur, who beat Sommer with a good shot at 7:01. Mazur got another, on the power play, again from point-blank range.
Soon after, Cooley tried the lacrosse move. He got the puck onto his stick beautifully, but as he whipped the puck around he shot wide. It was there, though.
Coach Nate Leaman pulled Oke after 40 minutes and gave Keopple a chance to make his Team USA debut as well. He wasn't busy, but at the other end Sasha Pastujov added a final, cheeky goal with 40.1 seconds, firing a shot from along the icing line that fooled Sommer.
That #5 was Kaiser. He opened the scoring just 54 seconds into the game, his simple wrister beating Sommer cleanly. Less than two minutes later, it was 2-0 thanks to #15, Matt Coronato. He took a pass from Logan Cooley in behind the defence and deked Sommer thoroughly for the score.
Kaiser was back at it again at 11:40, scoring an almost identical goal to his first when another long wrister drifted over Sommer’s shoulder. Then #20, Red Savage, completed the scoring. His shot went in and out so quickly no one knew it had gone in. Video review stopped play and confirmed it hit the inside bar of the net.
There was little letting up in the second. Mazur scored a pair of goals 57 seconds apart to make it 6-0. His first came off a steal inside the Austria blue line, Sasha Pastujov feeding Mazur, who beat Sommer with a good shot at 7:01. Mazur got another, on the power play, again from point-blank range.
Soon after, Cooley tried the lacrosse move. He got the puck onto his stick beautifully, but as he whipped the puck around he shot wide. It was there, though.
Coach Nate Leaman pulled Oke after 40 minutes and gave Keopple a chance to make his Team USA debut as well. He wasn't busy, but at the other end Sasha Pastujov added a final, cheeky goal with 40.1 seconds, firing a shot from along the icing line that fooled Sommer.
Austria vs United States - 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship
OF