The United States got off to a slow start, but eventually the Americans defeated Latvia 5-2 on Monday to kick off the 2023 World Junior Championship.
The USA scored three unanswered goals in the third period to secure the win. Five different players found the back of the net, with Red Savage and Sean Behrens leading the way with a goal and an assist.
After a scoreless first period, the two teams traded goals in the middle. Jimmy Snuggerud and Behrens scored for the Americans, while Arni Ravinskis and Niks Fenenko scored for Latvia. The United States heavily outscored their opponent in the period, but the Latvians scored on their first two shots on goal.
MORE: Watch World Juniors 2023 live with fuboTV (free trial, US only)
Goals by Chaz Lucius, Savage and Luke Hughes in the third led the USA to victory. Trey Augustine got the win in net, stopping 15 of 17 shots.
Sporting News has provided live updates and highlights of the match between USA and Latvia at the 2023 World Youth Championship.
MORE: Team USA roster, 2023 World Junior Championship schedule
USA vs. Latvia score
USA vs. Latvia live updates, highlights from 2023 World Juniors
Final — USA 5, Latvia 2
6:37 p.m. — After a slow start, the USA pulled away from Latvia in the third period for a 5-2 win to open the 2023 World Junior Championship. Some sloppy play from the Americans at times, mixed with flashes of dominance in the puck possession game. On the same subject : Watch: Jack McGlynn rocket for the USA U20s. The USA can do a lot better than that, while Latvia has proven once again that they won’t go easy on anyone.
18:32 — I don’t know why Latvia didn’t score, but a USA turnover in their own zone makes it 3 on 1 right at the net. Darels Dakurs finds a wide-open Klavs Veinbergs at the back post, but Veinbergs doesn’t get enough of a deflection and goes wide.
18:28 — Cutter Gauthier gets behind Latvia’s defense and beats Berzins, but can’t beat the iron as the puck clanks against the iron and goes out of play. It was an impressive game for Gauthier, who has yet to get on the scoresheet but had plenty of opportunities to find the line.
18:23 — Jack Peart and Charlie Stramel get their first points of the tournament, both assisting on Hughes’ goal.
18:22 — GOAL! Captain Luke Hughes fired from sight past the goal and in. It was a harmless shot from the point, but it beat Berzins to make it 5-2 with 6:31 left. We’ll see how conservative Pecknold’s team plays now with a comfortable lead.
Luke Hughes scores his first goal of the tournament 🚨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/gjZxPmcd9I
18:21 — The US is not letting its foot off the gas pedal. McGroarty uses his speed and range to try and round but Berzins gets to the spot and the shot is deflected into the goal.
18:14 — Great chance for USA on the power play as Snuggerud has several shots on the loose puck in the crease with Berzins down and out, but somehow stays out. Latvia successfully shut down the second power play for the USA.
18:11 — USA gets its second chance on the man advantage as Ravinskis gets two minutes to cross-check. There is still plenty of time, but Latvia is showing early signs of being worn down by the pressure from the United States.
18:08 — GOAL! The USA took their first multi-goal lead of the night when Red Savage fired home. The Latvian forward’s blind pass from the back passes the wall and goes right to the tape of Dylan Duke, who cuts into the middle, spins and fires a shot to Berzins, who hits it straight to Savage for the goal. 4-2 with 13:12 left.
Red Savage buries the rebound to give Team USA some insurance 🚨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/p837fRrSU7
18:04 — Not sure why there was a review, but the goal is confirmed. Blake does end up getting credit for the assist, Behrens also collects a helper, 3-2 USA early in the third.
18:01 — GOAL! With less than two minutes left in the final frame, Chaz Lucius does it himself with a slick backhand off the glove of Berzins. Solid play by Blake led to a turnover at the red line after the USA cleared the puck out of their zone. He is not credited with an assist, but he pressured a Latvian defenseman with a rebound.
Chaz Lucius backhand gives USA a 3-2 lead 🚨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/evhx9giewE
18:00 — It’s the third period.
End of second period: USA 2, Latvia 2
17:40 — After 40 minutes, two goals from both sides in the second leg makes it 2-2. As noted below, a better period from the USA where they outplayed Latvia most of the time. Still, Latvia showed they will be a disruptive team and the US can’t afford to get too aggressive and make mistakes (like Hughes on Latvia’s first goal). Continuing to get pucks and bodies to the net will be key for America to come out on top.
17:33 — Even though the game is tied, it’s a much, much better period than the Americans. The USA stepped up the game and were the better team, outscoring Latvia in a big way. To see also : 5 best video game consoles of 2022 – Consoles for casual gamers. However, the Latvians have scored on both of their shots so far in the second. The USA must stick to the game plan and not be disappointed by the results on the scoreboard, but they must also realize that Latvia will not disappear.
17:32 — Rewatching Fenenko’s goal, Boucher needs to do better. There was no reason for him to dive low when his defender had already taken care of the Latvian striker. Fenenka leaves an open point. Then, for some unknown reason, Boucher hesitates to challenge Fenenko, let the defender step in and take a clean shot.
17:30 — GOAL! Latvia finally got some sustained pressure in the offensive zone for the first time in a while and Niks Fenenko’s shot from the point somehow found its way through the net. Augustine never had a chance to track down a shot with traffic in front. Tied 2-2 with 5:36 left.
17:27 — No dice for the USA on the power play. The best chance came on the re-entry where Ufko got a drop-off in the slot but sailed high.
5:25 p.m. — First PP unit begins for USA, Hughes, Cooley, Gauthier, Boucher and McGroarty.
17:24 — The USA gets their first power play of the night as Gustavs Ozolins is called for a high shot.
17:23 — Red Savage and Dylan Duke get assists on Behrens’ goal.
17:21 — GOAL! The USA is back on top as Sean Behrens buried a one-time winner from the point. He quickly scores from the blue line and beats traffic and Berzins to give the USA a 2-1 lead with 10:43 left in the second.
17:18 — A chance for the U.S. to retake the lead as Cutter Gauthier’s shot goes through Berzins’ legs and the puck bounces into the crease. But a great play by the Latvian defense, clearing the puck and taking care of the sticks of the American forwards to prevent a goal.
17:11 — GOAL! Latvia is on board for the World Youth Championship as Anri Ravinskis completes a rather independent run with Rainers Rullers. Luke Hughes’ bad progress in the neutral zone results in a 2-on-1 as Ravinskis and Rullers play a pass-and-catch, and Ravinskis has a wide-open net on the rush.
17:07 — It’s now all over the US to start the second one. Any message that was spoken during the break was received. Latvia is still collapsing in the middle, but the USA is countering by getting pucks and bodies to the net after working it from the outside.
17:04 — GOAL! It’s Jimmy Snuggerud’s greasy goal that started the scoring for the USA 24 seconds into the second period. The Americans deny a Latvian penetration attempt, Snuggerud scoops up the puck, takes it to the net and takes advantage of his second chance. Berzins struggled to handle the rebounding puck, allowing Snuggerud to knock it in from the crease. The assist goes to Logan Cooley.
Jimmy Snuggerud puts Team USA on the board after burying a loose puck 🚨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/0F2PpZcLoT
End of first period: USA 0, Latvia 0
16:45 — A quick whistle on a Boucher chance nullifies a goal for the USA, making it 0-0 after 20 minutes. Competitive period by both teams, but you can see the holes in the USA game. Read also : Sports Digest: Norfolk scores two quick goals to beat Maine Mariners. They don’t have stars up front to carry the offense, instead they will rely on a defense that will jump in plays and create off the rush.
16:44 — Confirmed, no target. A lucky break for Latvia after the short whistle. The game remains scoreless.
16:41 — Sean Behrens’ shot looks to be blocked by Berzins, so the whistle blows. But Tyler Boucher had some shots on the puck and the puck was over the goal line. Officials will check to see if the puck crossed before the whistle. Call on the ice was not the goal.
Tyler Boucher gets a great chance and after a quick review it’s no goal. Good deflection. pic.twitter.com/llYzX3d9SQ
16:35 — Latvia has all the momentum right now. Trey Augustine was forced to make some stops due to secondary opportunities. Despite the deficit on paper, it has been a very competitive game so far, which should come as no surprise to those who have been following Latvia at the 2022 World Youth Championship.
16:34 — USA cancels Brindley penalty. They managed to keep Latvia PP on the perimeter for most of the penalty area, with Augustine only getting one shot off.
16:30 — The first penalty of the game is against the Americans as Gavin Brindley is called for a tackle.
16:27 — USA needs to be better at controlling the puck and winning 1v1 battles. Latvia took advantage of a pair and almost got some A-grade chances.
16:19 — Two great chances for the USA, both created by Jackson Blake, but both saved by Patriks Berzins. Blake got the pass right at the net as he drove in front, but he didn’t have much room to get around Berzins. He then got another chance at the edge of the net, but shot right at Berzins.
16:15 — Five minutes in and it’s clear Latvia’s game plan is to get in the middle and keep the USA on the outside. The Americans are spending a lot of time in the offensive zone on the perimeter so far.
16:11 — Latvia almost scores in the opening minute. Ryan Ufko loses the ball really badly behind his net and goes just in front of Martins Lavins, but his shot is deflected up and out of play.
4:10 p.m. — The puck has dropped and the USA’s journey to the 2023 World Youth Championship begins.
Pregame
15:30 — Trey Augustine gets the lead over Kaidan Mberek for the USA. Mbereko was the first starter at the 2022 World Junior Championship, while Rand Pecknold is with the U18 USA goalkeeper.
Trey Augustine gets the nod in net for the USA in place of Kaidan Mberek, who started four games in the August tournament. Augustine, a draft-eligible goalie, is committed to Michigan State for 2023-24. 12-0-2, 2.10, .930 for the USNTDP U-18 team this season.
15:15 — This is how the two teams will line up in the first row. These are the same lines and pairings from their two exhibition games for the US.
What channel is USA vs. Latvia on today?
TSN has all the World Juniors action in Canada, while in the United States, viewers can find the games on the NHL Network.
Stephen Nelson will provide play-by-play coverage for NHL Network. He will be joined on the broadcasts by analyst Dave Starman and reporter Jon Rosen.
Dennis Beyak and Craig Button will be on the call for American games for TSN. Laura Diakun and Dave Reid will be in the studio.
How to live stream World Juniors hockey games
American fans can stream the tournament on fuboTV (which comes with a free trial), NHL.tv or the NHL app.
Fans in Canada can stream all World Juniors matches on TSN.ca or the TSN app.
USA vs. Latvia odds
According to Sports Interaction, the USA started as heavy favorites over Latvia, with the puckline at 5.5 in favor of the Americans.
USA World Juniors schedule 2023
Who won 2022 gold Juniors?
Most importantly, he also saved the tournament. McTavish’s desperate goal-line attempt to beat Topi Niemel out of the air kept Saturday’s championship final alive as Kent Johnson scored the golden goal in overtime to give Canada a 3-2 victory over Finland.
Who won the 2022 World Youth Championship?
Who won Canada Junior Hockey game?
Canada won the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in a dramatic gold medal game, defeating Finland 3-2 in overtime thanks to Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson’s game-winning goal.
Who won Canada vs Finland today?
Finland, who lost 3-2 in overtime to Canada last summer in a memorable gold-medal final at this summer’s delayed Worlds, open their tournament on Boxing Day with a game against Switzerland in Moncton, N.B.
Where are the World Juniors for the next 5 years?
The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held from December 26, 2022 to January 5, 2023 in Moncton, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Scroll on for an inside look at Team USA’s journey from the start of camp in Plymouth, Mich., to the gold medal game.
Where will the next World Youth Championship be held in 2023? Press play to listen to this article! I understand! One of the most beloved hockey traditions in the world is about to get back on track. Most of the world’s best under-20 players have gathered in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will take place from December 26 to January 5.
What countries are in the World Juniors 2022?
The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held August 9-20, 2022 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The USA will compete in Group B along with Austria, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia and Slovakia make up Group A.
Where is the World Junior Hockey 2024?
The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held in Gothenburg. It will start on December 26, 2023 and end on January 5, 2024.
Who is playing in the World Juniors 2022?
2022 IIHF World Junior Championship
- Canada (CAN)
- Finland (FIN)
- Latvia (LAT)
- Czech Republic (CZE)
- Slovakia (SVK)
- United States (USA)
- Sweden (SWE)
- Germany (GER)
Has Canada won a war?
Canada won the War of 1812, admits an American historian.
Has Canada fought any war? Since World War II, however, Canada has been committed to multilateralism and has only gone to war as part of large multinational coalitions such as the Korean War, the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, and the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.
Has Canada ever helped in a war?
During the Second World War, Canadians defended the east and west coasts, fighting a series of long and difficult campaigns – on land, at sea and in the air – to defeat German, Italian and Japanese forces. More than 1.1 million Canadians have served in the armed forces.
