STIGA’S OVERTIME GAME-WINNER GIVES TEAM USA ITS SECOND STRAIGHT GOLD IN WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Teddy Stiga couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first goal for the United States team in the IIHF World Junior Championship.
A 5-foot-10, 179-pound freshman defenseman for No. 2 Boston College, the 18-year-old Stiga took a pass from Denver defenseman Zeev Buium during the 3-on-3 overtime period, skated in and shot the puck between the legs of Finland goalie Petteri Rimpinen for the game-winning goal in a 4-3 victory for Team USA in the gold-medal game Sunday before 16,822 watching at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ont.
The goal completed Team USA’s comeback from a 3-1 second-period deficit to the Finns, who a week ago handed the Americans a 4-3 overtime loss in their Group A preliminary game. The triumph also gave the United States its second straight gold medal under coach David Carle, Denver University’s head coach, and it was the team’s seventh in World Juniors Championship history (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2024 the previous ones).
“I couldn’t be prouder of our group,” Carle said. “They grew as a team, played for each other and ultimately accomplished something that has never been done by helping our nation win back-to-back gold medals in the World Juniors.”
Notre Dame sophomore center Danny Nelson, one of three alternate captains for the United States, added a second gold to the one he one last season, and he had company on the team from fellow sophomore, defenseman Paul Fischer, and company in the team photo from Jessica Thibault, who handled team services and is Notre Dame’s director of hockey operations for retiring coach Jeff Jackson.
Nelson, who played in all seven games for the Americans, did not contribute a point in the championship game. But Carle sent the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Maple Grove, Minn., native onto the ice to handle key faceoffs. Sunday, Nelson was 13-6 (.684) in faceoffs as the Americans finished with a 31-26 edge over the Finns.
Nelson finished with four goals and two assists for six points in the seven games. Fischer, who hails from River Forest, Ill., skated in two games and finished with an assist. Both players are expected to be in Notre Dame’s lineup this coming Friday and Saturday when the Irish meet No. 9 Michigan at the Compton Family Ice Arena.
Team captain Ryan Leonard, a right wing for Boston College, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after scoring five goals and five assists for 10 points, one fewer than Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson. Another Eagle, Gabe Perreault, also finished with 10 points (three goals, seven assists).
Stiga, Leonard and Perreault are three of six players on the 25-man roster who play for Boston College. Boston University was represented by three players while Notre Dame, St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota had two each.
Goaltender Trey Augustine, a standout at No. 1 Michigan State, became the first goalie to medal in three straight World Junior tournaments. In addition to his two golds, Augustine earned bronze from Team USA’s third-place finish in the 2023 tournament. Augustine finished with 21 saves against the Finns.
In a game which had only three penalties, all in the first period and two of them coincidental minors, Finland took a 1-0 lead at 7:13 of the first period when Jesse Kiiskinen beat Augustine on the power play.
The United States tied it a 12:04 when Boston College’s James Hagens scored his fifth goal of the tournament off assists from Leonard and Perreault. But Tuomas Uronen quickly answered back when he beat Augustine at 13:03.
Finland went up 3-1 when Emil Pieniniemi scored at 4:52 of the second period and things were looking bleak for Team USA.
“They had a better start; there’s no excuse there, but you saw the way we played in the last 10 minutes of the second period,” Leonard said. “The ice was tilted and they didn’t really have the puck.”
Indeed, after being outshot 13-8 in the first period, the Americans dominated the second with their 15-4 flurry.
Boston University’s Brandon Svoboda made it 3-2 at 17:38 when his long shot hit off Finland defenseman Daniel Nieminen and eluded Rimpinen. Then the Americans tied it up at 3-3 when Leonard and Denver’s Zeev Buium set up Hutson’s third goal of the tournament at 19:31.
Neither team scored in the third period though Team USA finished with an 11-5 edge in shots. The Americans then dominated the 3-on-3 overtime period with a 6-2 edge in shots. Rimpinen made huge stops on Leonard and Hagens during the overtime before Stiga’s game-winner.
“I’m so happy for the kid (Stiga),” added Leonard. “He was scratched at the start and fought his way into the lineup. He’s a hell of a player. You see why he’s in the lineup at the end.”
UNITED STATES 4, FINLAND 3 (OT)
Sunday, Jan. 5 at Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ont.
United States 1 2 0 1—4
Finland 2 1 0 0—3
First Period—Scoring: 1. Finland, Jesse Kiiskinen 6 (Emil Hemming, Topias Hynninen) PP 7:13; 2. United States, James Hagens 5 (Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault) EV 12:04; 3. Finland, Tuomas Uronen 2 (Arttu Alasiurua, Emil Hemming) EV 13:03. Penalties: United States 2-4, Finland 1-2.
Second Period—Scoring: 4. Finland, Emil Pieniniemi 2 (Heikki Ruohonen, Jesse Nurmi) EV 4:52; 5. United States, Brandon Svoboda 3 (Max Plante, Cole Hutson) EV 17:38; 6. United States, Cole Hutson 3 (Ryan Leonard, Zeev Buium) EV 19:31. Penalties: United States 0-0 (2-4), Finland 0-0 (1-2).
Third Period—Scoring: none. Penalties: United States 0-0 (2-4), Finland 0-0 (1-2).
Overtime—Scoring: 7. United States, Teddy Stiga 1 (Zeev Buium, Brodie Ziemer ) 3×3 8:04. Penalties: United States 0-0 (2-4), Finland 0-0 (1-2).
Shots on goal: United States 40 (8-15-11-6), Finland 24 (13-4-5-2). Goalie saves: United States, Trey Augustine 21 (11-3-5-2), Finland, Petteri Rimpinen 36 (7-13-11-5). Faceoffs won: United States 31, Finland 26. Power-play opportunities: United States 0 of 0, Finland 0 of 1.
Referees: Michael Campbell (Canada) and Christoffer Holm (Sweden). Linesmen: Jake Davis (United States) and Omni Hautamaki (Finland). Attendance: 16,822.
SINGLE ELIMINATION
Sunday, Jan. 5 medal games at Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa, Ont.
Gold: United States 4, Finland 3 (OT).
Bronze: Czechia 2, Sweden 2 (OT) (Czechia wins shootout 3-2)