The Americans ideally managed to enter the match. Gauthier hit the bar in the first minute, but Leonard opened the score 90 seconds later. In the 7th minute, Kaplan weakened into a break, but the USA team did not add a second goal.
Thanks to this, Oscar Pettersson was able to equalize in the 13th minute, who took advantage of Howard’s hesitation in the middle zone. 63 seconds later, the Swedes led thanks to Östlund. However, the Americans evened in the first period, when Nazar scored after a quick counterattack.
The character of the second part was determined by the game in the unequal number of players on the ice. The Swedes managed to use two power games and thanks to Öhgren and Östlund they took the lead 4: 2. But the Americans were also able to use the power play and McGroarty reduced the difference to a single goal.
Subsequently, the overseas players had a chance to equalize in further numerical advantages, but they could not punish any of the three foul by the Northerners and collected themselves for the fifth time in the 50th minute, when the goalkeeper Augustina beat Öhgren for the second time after renumbering two to one.
But the Americans managed to dramatize the duel in the 57th minute. During the power play, they called off the goalkeeper and McGroarty took advantage of the two-player advantage on the ice. But they could not equalize, during the power play he adjusted to the final 6: 4 Lekkerimäki. The USA, which eliminated the Czech team in the semifinals, did not win the eleventh title at the 18-year-old championship.
“It’s unbelievable, we are the best team in the world,” Öhgren rejoiced. “We had a very strong team here with a number of skilled players. We never doubted ourselves,” said the captain of the Swedish team, who lost only the opening match in the group against Latvia to his teammates at the World Cup.
“Of course at the end it was very nervous, but we tried not to think about it. In each rotation we tried to fight and do everything to avoid collecting. attributed 47 interventions.
| Under-18 World Hockey Championships in Landshut – final: |
| USA – Sweden 4: 6 (2: 2, 1: 2, 1: 2) |
| Goals and recordings: 3. Leonard (Kaplan), 16. Nazar (Duke), 37. McGroarty (Cooley), 57. McGroarty (Snuggerud, Gauthier) – 13. O. Pettersson (Odelius), 14. Östlund (Lekkerimäki, Öhgren ), 32. Öhgren (M. Hävelid, Lekkerimäki), 36. Östlund (O. Pettersson, M. Hävelid), 50. Öhgren (Lekkerimäki), 60. Lekkerimäki (M. Hävelid). Judges: Iwert (Germany), Langin – Wyonzek (both CAN), Hautamäki (FIN). Exclusion: 8: 7. Utilization: 1: 2. Attendance: 2560. |
| USA: Augustine – Hutson, Chesley, Duke, Casey, Powell, Leddy, Brzustewicz – Gauthier, Cooley, Snuggerud – Howard, Nazar, Brindley – McGroarty, Stramel, Lucius – Leonard, Spicer, Kaplan – Smith. Trenér: Adam Nightingale |
| Swedish: H. Hävelid – Norén, M. Hävelid, Good Bogg, Salomonsson, E. Pettersson, Odelius, Lindstein – Öhgren, Östlund, Lekkerimäki – Stenberg, Bystedt, O. Pettersson – Tell, Wagner, Almgren – Born, Suzdalev, Rudslätt . Coach: Magnus Hävelid. |
| Bronze Finland – Czechia match can be found HERE. |
| Final standings: |
|---|
| 1. Sweden |
| 2. USA |
| 3. Finland |
| 4. Czechia |
| 5, Canada |
| 6. Switzerland |
| 7. Latvia |
| 8. Germany. |
| The best players according to the tournament directorate |
|---|
| Goalkeeper: Hugo Hävelid (Sweden) |
| Defender: Lane Hutson (USA) |
| Forward: Logan Cooley (USA) |
| All Star tournament team according to reporters |
| Goalkeeper: Hugo Hävelid (Sweden) |
| Defenders: Tomáš Hamara (Czechia), Lane Hutson (USA). |
| Forwards: Jiří Kulich (Czech Republic), Logan Cooley (USA), Jonathan Lekkerimäki (Sweden) |
| Most useful player (MVP): Jiří Kulich (Czechia) |
