Team USA has advanced to the IIHF World Junior Championship semifinals with their 3-2 win over Switzerland. Despite the fact that they were favored to win by more than they did, they pulled off the win nonetheless.
Team USA Advances To IIHF World Junior Championship Semifinals
Team USA was matched up against Switzerland due to them winning their group, capped off with a 3-1 win over Team Canada. They faced off in Toronto and got out to a quick 2-0 lead, a lead that wouldn’t last.
Goals in the first period for Team USA were scored by right wing Jeremy Bracco of the Kitchener Rangers, and a Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick in 2015. The second goal of the game came from centreman Luke Kunin of the University of Wisconsin, a 2016 first round selection by the Minnesota Wild.
The Swiss team would go on to pull back two goals over the course of the second and third period, both on the power play. But with 13:42 left in the third period Jordan Greenway, a left wing from Boston University and also a Minnesota draft selection in 2015, scored the go-ahead goal that would be enough for Team USA to win.
Then, @JGreenway12 struck again to give @usahockey the 3-2 lead! #USAWJC #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/c0lJcTqZHz
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 3, 2017
Along with those performers Tyler Parsons got the start in net tonight in favor of Joseph Woll, who started the final game of the group the other night. Bracco and Kunin both tallied an assist on the night, continuing strong performances in this tournament. The same can be said for Greenway, who has been nothing short of solid for Team USA throughout and has proven to be a pivotal part of the team.
Tyler Parsons is currently playing for the London Knights in the OHL. During the 2016-17 season for the Knights he has posted an 11-2-2 record, sports a 2.40 GAA, and has a .916 save percentage. Something that will surely make the Calgary Flames happy for selecting him in the second round in the 2016 draft. Parsons finished with 19 saves in the game against Switzerland.
Joseph Woll is the other option in net, and he’s not much of a drop off, if at all. Woll currently plays for Boston College, a historic program in the NCAA. During this season he has a 10-6-1 record, 2.51 GAA, and a .917 save percentage for the Eagles.
Team USA takes on Russia in the semifinals on Wednesday, January 4th, in Montreal.
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