COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A five-goal second period, including three in a span of 3:22, powered the U.S. Junior Select Team to a 7-1 win over Switzerland in the World Junior A Challenge quarterfinals Wednesday night in Cobourg, Ontario.
With the victory, Team USA (2-1-0-0) advances to Thursday’s semifinal against Russia (2-0-0-0) in Whitby, Ontario, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Five players scored for the U.S. against Switzerland, turning a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes into a lopsided rout after 40.
Collin Peters (Sheboygan, Wis./Sioux Falls Stampede) opened the flood gates, scoring his first of two goals to give the U.S. its first lead at 2:36 of the second period. Max Zimmer (Medina, Minn./Chicago Steel) and Josh Wilkins (Raleigh, N.C./Sioux City Musketeers) then scored 56 seconds apart, at 5:02 and 5:58, to increase the American lead to 4-1. Peters added his second goal of the period at 11:27 and Ross Colton (Robbinsville, N.J./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) scored his second of the night at 14:40 to cap a period in which Team USA outshot Switzerland 22-1.
“We didn’t have to say a lot between the first and the second period,” said Cary Eades, head coach of the 2015 U.S. Junior Select Team. “The guys knew they were in a battle. We had to get our heads up, control the puck better, penetrate and drive to the net. We did that, and bam-bam, it was 3-1, and we were rolling from there.”
Cal Burke (Boxborough, Mass./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) added a seventh goal for Team USA at 13:07 of the third period to provide the final margin and further showcase a balanced offensive attack. For the tournament, nine players have scored for Team USA, led by Colton with three.
“That depth is a real strength of our team,” said Eades. “Everybody is a first-line player on their USHL teams, and they’ve been very unselfish here, so we’re not relying on any one line or power-play unit. That balanced scoring makes it difficult on opponents, because they can’t focus on any one group to shut us down.”
With the offense in high gear, U.S. goaltender Ryan Bednard (Macomb, Mich./Youngstown Phantoms) was rarely tested but solid when needed, earning his second win of the tournament. Through two games, the Florida Panthers draft pick has allowed only one goal on 35 shots.
Team USA will now pack its bags for the 43-mile trip east and a semifinal showdown to determine whether a fourth-straight World Junior A Challenge championship will be within range for the red, white and blue. The last time Team USA was forced to venture through the quarterfinals, in 2011, it claimed third place after being ousted in the semifinals by Canada East, which will play Canada West in Thursday’s other semifinal.
NOTES: The five second-period goals for Team USA were one short of the tournament record of six goals in a single period, set by three teams including the U.S. (in 2007) … Providence College prospect Josh Wilkins (1G, 2A) was named the U.S. Player of the Game … Team USA outshot Switzerland 41-18 … The U.S. went 1-for-5 on the power play and a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill … Click here for complete game statistics … The 2015 World Junior A Challenge includes Canada East, Canada West, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Russia and the United States … The World Junior A Challenge is in its ninth year, and the U.S. is competing for the eighth time. Team USA has won six of the last seven tournaments, including the last three in a row (2008-2010, 2012-14) … FASTHockey.com is live streaming games from the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.
