USA WHITE

2-3

FINLAND

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings – USA White: 

[one_half]Boldy – Drury – Wahlstrom
Zegras – Hall – Farinacci
Robertson – Jenkins – Kaliyev
Koumontzis – Pivonka – Janicke[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Miller – Helleson
Jones – McCarthy
Demin – Harris[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:
DeRidder
Wolf

Scratches:

Forward lines and defense pairings – Finland: 

[one_half]Haatanen – Lundell – Oden
Killinen – Kivenmaki – Erholtz
Ranta – Saarela – Raty
Salonen – Siikanen – Petman[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Nousiainen – Thomson
Heinola – Honka
Utunen – Salmela[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:
Annunen
Patrikainen

Scratches:

Game Report

The 2019 USA Hockey World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off tournament action in Plymouth, MI early Saturday afternoon with a tilt between the USA White team and Team Finland. For Montreal Canadiens fans, prospect Jordan Harris could be found on the third pairing defensively.

In the first period, the USA team dominating the shot clock, outshooting Finland 16-6 in the opening 20 minutes. But despite peppering Justus Annunen with pucks, there wasn’t much in the way of net-front presence to put rebounds across the goal line and the game remained scoreless for most of the first period.

The penalty boxes, however, were quite busy as the USA team took three minor penalties and Finland took four. Nick Robertson was able to convert one of the USA’s power play opportunities to put the home team on the ice first. Two minutes later Finland responded with a goal of their own, credited to Eemil Erholtz.

The second period calmed down significantly in terms of penalties, with both teams avoiding the penalty box completely, but the USA wasted no time in regaining their lead with a goal by Oliver Wahlstrom just 52 seconds into the frame.

Finland yet again found themselves behind in shots in this period, but the steadily and calmly stuck with the Americans and didn’t allow them the opportunity to get many high-danger shots. Sampo Ranta scored the equalizing goal short side on Drew DeRidder to make it 2-2, and then Erholtz scored his second goal of the game to give the young Finnish team its first lead of the game.

Throughout the third period, Team USA had plenty of opportunities to tie things up again, but Annunen stood tall in the Finland crease and kept his opposition at bay. Even with a six-on-four advantage in the final 30 seconds of the game, the Americans couldn’t find their way past him again and Finland celebrated a comeback win.

Team Finland will play again on Sunday, facing the USA Blue team at 1:00pm ET.

Plus/Minus

▲    Trevor Zegras, Eemil Erholtz, Oliver Wahlstrom, Justus Annunen

▼

Stars of the Game

Highlights provided by USA Hockey

#TeamUSA White got on the board early in the second thanks to this @WahlstromOliver goal, but trail 3-2 against Finland going into the third. #WJSS

Catch the final period on @MyHockeyTV → https://t.co/JLXNrzQe9J pic.twitter.com/nvOaymQ32h

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) July 27, 2019

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