Highlighted by Sears and Schneider's Goals, Team USA Defeats Switzerland, 5-2,

USA Hockey National Team Development Program

Highlighted by Sears and Schneider's Goals, Team USA Defeats Switzerland, 5-2,

By USA Hockey's NTDP, 02/03/26, 8:15PM EST

U.S. are Back Tomorrow Night Against Finland

Photo by Rena Laverty

PLYMOUTH, Mich. - Finnegan Sears (Medford, Mass.) and Freddie Schneider (Edina, Minn.) scored highlight-reel goals for the U.S. National Under-17 Team as they defeated Switzerland in the opening game at the Under-17 Five Nations, 5-2, at USA Hockey Arena.

Team USA jumped on Switzerland early on in the first period and didn't look back. As a power play was coming to a close, Easton Johnson (Luverne, Minn.) fired a shot on goal that squeezed through the pads of the Swiss goaltender for the first goal of the contest.

Box Score

Highlights

From there, the highlight-reel began for the U17s. A slapshot from the point by Johnson missed wide of the goal, where Finnegan Sears picked up the puck on the side of the net. With the goaltender sprawled onto the ice, Sears pulled off the "Michigan", picking the puck up onto his stick and carrying it around in the air and stuffing it in the net for the two goal lead.

Freddie Schneider made it back-to-back impressive goals for the U.S. just under five minutes later. After a scramble for the puck in the attacking zone, Braden Horton (Souderton, Pa.) found the it on his stick and slid it over to Sears who tapped it down to Schneider. Schneider went in alone on the net, putting the puck between his legs and roofing it over the shoulder of Ayden Huet to make it 3-0.

Team USA wasn't done scoring in the first period. Gunnar Conboy (Lakeville, Minn) added their fourth of the period, finding a rebound on his own shot, to give them the four goal advantage.

In the second period, Rocco Pelosi (Sewell, N.J.) kept things rolling for the U.S. with a shorthanded marker. Stealing the puck in the neutral zone, Brayden Willis (Gilbert, Ariz.) tipped the puck over to Pelosi, making it a 2-on-0. Going in on the goal, Pelosi sniped one past the glove for the 5-0 lead.

Switzerland managed to get on the board on the power play at the 4:04 mark on a shot from Noel Bosshard.

The Swiss added one more in the third, but the U17s held on for the 5-2 win.

Eli Winters (Muskegon, Mich.) got the victory for Team USA in net and stopped 14 shots.

The U17s are back at USA Hockey Arena tomorrow night as they take on Finland in the second game of the 2026 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. ET and tickets are available at USAHockeyNTDP.com/tix or by calling the box office at 734-453-8400.