U.S. WINS, SETS UP GOLD-MEDAL GAME WITH FINLAND IIHF 2025 World Junior Championship

Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault combined for three goals to lead the United States to a 4-1 win over Czechia in the late semi-final. The win sets up a gold-medal game against the Finns. The teams have played only once before for gold, that in 2019.

The Czechs, seeking their third straight World Juniors medal, will play Finland in the early game tomororw for bronze.

The Czechs (including Czechoslovakia) have won two gold, six silver, and eight bronze in World Junior history. The U.S. has six gold, two silver, and seven bronze.

This was the game Canada was supposed to be playing in, so the large crowd was in a conundrum—support Czechia, which had eliminated Canada in the quarter-finals, or support the dreaded rivals United States? In the end, they chose mostly silence, except when Petr Sikora had the puck for Czechia. He was the one who drew the five-minute major and game misconduct to Cole Beaudoin in the previous game.

The Czechs had a great chance to open the scoring when Adam Jecho hit the crossbar early on, but it was the Americans who first put a puck into the net at 3:14. It was all thanks to a great effort by captain Ryan Leonard, who was sporting a full visor to protect not one but two facial injuries sustained in the quarter-finals.

Leonard hustled around Jakub Dvorak, but the puck skittered out of his reach. He dove and swatted the puck to the middle for Gabe Perreault, and he made a pretty deke on Michael Hrabal to make it 1-0 for the U.S.

Adam Novotny tied it for the Czechs midway through the period when he got to a loose puck along the left boards. Trey Augustine was not entirely set and too snug to the near post, and Novotny had room to work with past Augustine’s glove on the far side, making it 1-1 at 9:28.

The U.S. had a great chance to go ahead on another Leonard-Perreault connection. This time Leonard made the pass, and Perreault went in alone, but Hrabal stood tall and made a great save. Soon after, on a late power play, Perreault hit the base of the post with another shot.

The second period was conservative and almost void of scoring chances. Teams were cautious in the extreme, not creating much, not giving up much. But midway through referees gave each team a penalty, overlapping, creating a bit of four-on-four and a short power play either way. The Americans capitalized with theirs.

Trevor Connelly fought his way down the left side and found Cole Eiserman high on the other side. Eiserman ripped into a one-timer, and even 6’6/2.04m Hrabal couldn’t get over in time to make the save.

The Czechs had a great chance to tie soon after when Adam Novotny came right down the middle unscathed, but his shot hit Augustine in the stomach for what turned out ot be an easy save. Novotny smacked his stick on the ice in despair.

Needing a goal, the Czechs came out a more aggressive group in the third, and the Americans were probably more passive in response than they likely would have wanted. The result was a fair amount of play in the U.S. end, but try as they might they couldn't beat Augustine. Midway through, he made the save of the tournament. He kicked out one shot right onto the stick of Jecho, who was staring at a wide open net. He didn't get quite all of the shot he wanted, but the American goalie extended his right pad to deny the tying goal with a sensational save.

That seemed to be a wakeup call for the U.S. They started to get the puck deep again, forcing the Czechs to turn around and chase after the disc. A too many men penalty didn't help their efforts to tie the game, but this time Hrabal stood tall to keep it a one-goal game with about six minutes remaining.

The U.S. scored late to extend their lead, capitalizing on a bad line change. Perreault again sent a beautiful pass through the crease for a Leonard tap-in at 15:33 to put the game away.

Oliver Moore salted the victory with an empty netter at 18:53.