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MEDICINE HAT, Alta. - The U.S. faces Russia in the championship game at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge tonight (Nov. 9) at 7 p.m. MT/9 p.m. ET.
RUSSIA PREVIEW
The U.S. last played Russia in the championship game in the November 2014 tournament. Russia won the game, 2-1. The U.S. is 5-0-0-5-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) against Russia at the U17 Challenge. The U.S. is 5-7-0 in championship games at the U17 Challenge. Their last championship game was in 2017 where the U.S. defeated Canada Red, 6-4.
CANADA WHITE SEMIFINAL RECAP
The U.S. defeated Canada White, 7-3 in its semifinal match-up yesterday (Nov. 8). Jeremy Wilmer netted two goals and Kaidan Mbereko stood tall in net making 21 saves in the win.
FINLAND RECAP
The U.S. downed Finland in its quarterfinal match-up on Thursday (Nov. 7), 8-4. Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) netted a hat trick in the win.
CANADA BLACK RECAP
The U.S. fell to Canada Black, 5-4 in overtime in its final preliminary-round game on Tuesday (Nov. 5).
CANADA WHITE RECAP
The U.S. National Under-17 Team defeated Canada White in a back-and-forth game Monday (Nov. 4) night but ultimately won, 6-4. Luke Hughes (Manchester, N.H.) netted the eventual game-winner.
CZECH REPUBLIC RECAP
The U.S. National Team defeated the Czech Republic, 10-1 Sunday (Nov. 3) night. The U.S. went down, 1-0 before answering with 10.
Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) tied the game in the first period before Team USA netted seven in the second period.
Ty Gallagher (Clarkston, Mich.) sent two into the back of the net while Tyler Boucher (Haddonfield, N.J.), Liam Gilmartin (Falls Church, Va.), Jack Hughes (Westwood, Mass.), Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.) and Dylan Duke (Strongsville, Ohio) each added one.
Lucius and Ryan St. Louis (Riverside, Conn.) each added one in the third for a 10-1 final.
CANADA RED RECAP
The U.S. defeated Canada Red in its lone pre-tournament game at the U17 challenge on Thursday (Oct. 31) in a shootout, 7-6. Jack Hughes (Westwood, Mass.) Netted the shootout-winner.
CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP
U17 forward Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) scored his 22nd goal of the season Friday (Nov. 8) night against Canada White in the semifinal game. The University of Minnesota commit leads the tournament in goals with seven.
TOP SCORERS
Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) leads Team USA at the Challenge with 12 points (8-4-11) through five games, including the pre-tournament game. Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.) and Dylan Duke (Strongsville, Ohio) each have 10 points. Behrens has tallied one goal and nine assists while Duke has seven goals and three assists.
WORLD U17 CHALLENGE HISTORY
Team USA has competed at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge on 25 previous occasions, including the Quebec Cup in 1990 and the Quebec Esso Cup in 1986. Combined, the U.S. has a 89-8-6-37-7 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) record, good for first in the all-time event standings. Team USA has finished in the top three 15 times; first place in November, 2017, January 2014, 2010, 2002 and 2001; second place in November 2014, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2006, 1998 and 1996. The U.S. took third place in 2013, 2009 and 1998. Last year the U.S. finished in eighth place.
The U.S. Under-17 Team (2003 birth year) enters the 2019 World Under-17 Challenge with an 7-7-0-0 overall record. In last year’s tournament the 2002s went 1-0-1-4-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) during its 2018 run in Saint John/ Quispamsis, New Brunswick.
The last time the tournament was in Alberta was 2005 and the U.S. went 3-1-1 and placed fifth.
The U.S. has advanced to the championship game of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in six of the last 10 seasons and won five titles in the event's history (2001, 2002, 2010, January 2014, 2017).