GOTHENBURG, Sweden (WILX) – Team USA is coming home from Sweden a little heavier, having won the gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Juniors championship for the sixth time.
Team USA beat host country Sweden’s national team 6-2 Friday to take home the hardware, and has now won six gold medals over 21 years in the tournament. The heartbreak on the faces of Team Sweden’s players said it all: they’ve yet to win gold, settling for silver this year, their seventh hosting of the tournament.
Last year, Sweden lost to the U.S. in the bronze medal game and has now finished second a total of 12 times in the tournament.
Michigan was well-represented on Team USA: Two Michigan State Spartans, forward Isaac Howard and goaltender Trey Augustine, joined four Michigan Wolverines, Rutger McGroarty, Gavin Brindley, Seamus Casey, and Frank Nazar.
Howard scored two goals in the gold medal game, including one with an assist from Brindley. Captain McGroarty sealed the win for Team USA with an empty netter at 16:10 in the third while Augustine picked up the victory in goal for the U.S.
Back in 2022, the U.S. fell 6-4 to Sweden at the under-18 worlds – despite holding a 51-14 shot advantage. The players from this age group say they remember that loss like it was just yesterday.
See the team’s celebration from the bench below:
Earlier on Friday, Czechia defeated Finland 8-5 to win the bronze. Czechia set two records in the process: the fastest four goals scored in World Juniors history (50 seconds) and the fastest two goals scored in World Juniors history.
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