photo: Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF
The United States scored three goals late in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit and earn their first win of the U18 World Championship. For the Czechs, it was a heart-breaking loss after playing near-perfect hockey for 55 minutes.
The Americans entered the game with an 18-game winning streak against the Czechs in U18 play, going back to 2004. The last Czech victory was in 2002.
Both teams are right back at it tomorrow in Frisco. The Czechs draw the early game, against Germany, followed by a Switzerland-United States tilt.
"It was a good game for the team," said American forward Mikey Berchild, one of the scorers. "We came out, kept going, stuck to our plan. The boys played well, and now we're looking to keep it going tomorrow. It was good to have this challenge, but good to get the win."
"It was a tough game, but we played really well," said Czechia's Simon Katolicky. "I think we were better in the first and second periods, but the Americans are very skilful, so it's hard to play 60 minutes with them. I didn't think they would be that fast. I played against their '08 players before, but these guys are much faster."
The Czechs started tonight’s game in impressive fashion, taking play to the U.S. and generating good puck possession in the American end. And then, just like that, a U.S. counter attack resulted in the game’s first goal.
L.J. Mooney fed a nice pass to Berchild going to the net, and Berchild lifted a nice backhand deke over the glove of Michal Orsulak at 8:03. The Czechs had a good chance to tie it when Vit Zahejsky drove up ice with Blake Fiddler hounding him. Zahejsky managed to get a shot, but Patrick Quinlan was equal to the moment.
The Czechs tied the game early in the second on a power play that carried over from the end of the first. Defender Radim Mrkta skated in unhindered to the top of the circle and beat Quinlan cleanly with a shot at the 26-second mark. Orsulak earned an assist on the play, only the third Czech goalie to pick up a helped in U18 history after Michal Neuvirth in 2006 and Vitali Vanecek in 2014.
The rest of the period was without a goal, but not for lack of trying. David Rozsival had a grade A chance in front but was stopped by Quinlan. Cole McKinney was similarly robbed by Orsulak a little later. Will Horcoff thought for sure he had scored the go-ahead goal in the final minute, but video review showed the puck rattled off the crossbar. And just before the horn Zahejsky made a deft tip off a pass in front, but Quinlan got his body in the way.
Early in the third, the hosts had a power play with a great chance to go ahead, but just the opposite happened. Zahejsky got loose and drove hard down the ice, chased all the way by Donny Bracco. But Zahejsky managed to get a shot off that snuck through Quinlan at 3:33 for a short-handed goal and a 2-1 lead.
Six minutes later, the Americans tied the game...or so they thought. Cullen Potter made a great shot to the short side while sliding across the slot, but Czech coach David Cermak challenged the call for offside, and he was correct. No goal.
Moments later, the U.S. went to the power play, and although they didn't score, this began a period of several minutes when the tying goal looked inevitable. But the Czechs proved resilient, and the clock ticked inexorably towards zero with that 2-1 lead intact.
Sure enough, however, the goal came. Blake Fiddler's routine shot from the boards was muffed by Orsulak, who had played so well, and at 15:47 we had a 2-2 game. Two minutes later, a long pass from Fiddler started the sequence for the winning goal, which ended with a sensational shot by Will Horcoff over Orsulak's glove at 17:43.
"We talked about that [disallowed goal]," Berchild explained. "When adversity hits us, we want to get some momentum and keep going. That's what happened. We stayed calm and kept playing."
Jacob Kvasnicka adsded an empty netter with 7.2 seconds remaining.
The Americans entered the game with an 18-game winning streak against the Czechs in U18 play, going back to 2004. The last Czech victory was in 2002.
Both teams are right back at it tomorrow in Frisco. The Czechs draw the early game, against Germany, followed by a Switzerland-United States tilt.
"It was a good game for the team," said American forward Mikey Berchild, one of the scorers. "We came out, kept going, stuck to our plan. The boys played well, and now we're looking to keep it going tomorrow. It was good to have this challenge, but good to get the win."
"It was a tough game, but we played really well," said Czechia's Simon Katolicky. "I think we were better in the first and second periods, but the Americans are very skilful, so it's hard to play 60 minutes with them. I didn't think they would be that fast. I played against their '08 players before, but these guys are much faster."
The Czechs started tonight’s game in impressive fashion, taking play to the U.S. and generating good puck possession in the American end. And then, just like that, a U.S. counter attack resulted in the game’s first goal.
L.J. Mooney fed a nice pass to Berchild going to the net, and Berchild lifted a nice backhand deke over the glove of Michal Orsulak at 8:03. The Czechs had a good chance to tie it when Vit Zahejsky drove up ice with Blake Fiddler hounding him. Zahejsky managed to get a shot, but Patrick Quinlan was equal to the moment.
The Czechs tied the game early in the second on a power play that carried over from the end of the first. Defender Radim Mrkta skated in unhindered to the top of the circle and beat Quinlan cleanly with a shot at the 26-second mark. Orsulak earned an assist on the play, only the third Czech goalie to pick up a helped in U18 history after Michal Neuvirth in 2006 and Vitali Vanecek in 2014.
The rest of the period was without a goal, but not for lack of trying. David Rozsival had a grade A chance in front but was stopped by Quinlan. Cole McKinney was similarly robbed by Orsulak a little later. Will Horcoff thought for sure he had scored the go-ahead goal in the final minute, but video review showed the puck rattled off the crossbar. And just before the horn Zahejsky made a deft tip off a pass in front, but Quinlan got his body in the way.
Early in the third, the hosts had a power play with a great chance to go ahead, but just the opposite happened. Zahejsky got loose and drove hard down the ice, chased all the way by Donny Bracco. But Zahejsky managed to get a shot off that snuck through Quinlan at 3:33 for a short-handed goal and a 2-1 lead.
Six minutes later, the Americans tied the game...or so they thought. Cullen Potter made a great shot to the short side while sliding across the slot, but Czech coach David Cermak challenged the call for offside, and he was correct. No goal.
Moments later, the U.S. went to the power play, and although they didn't score, this began a period of several minutes when the tying goal looked inevitable. But the Czechs proved resilient, and the clock ticked inexorably towards zero with that 2-1 lead intact.
Sure enough, however, the goal came. Blake Fiddler's routine shot from the boards was muffed by Orsulak, who had played so well, and at 15:47 we had a 2-2 game. Two minutes later, a long pass from Fiddler started the sequence for the winning goal, which ended with a sensational shot by Will Horcoff over Orsulak's glove at 17:43.
"We talked about that [disallowed goal]," Berchild explained. "When adversity hits us, we want to get some momentum and keep going. That's what happened. We stayed calm and kept playing."
Jacob Kvasnicka adsded an empty netter with 7.2 seconds remaining.
Czechia vs United States - 2025 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship
OF