The United States extended their World Junior Championship win streak to 10 games, claiming a dominant 5-1 victory over Latvia in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon. The win marks their second straight victory in Group A, while Latvia dropped to 1-1 after their exhausting 17-hour turnaround from a historic win over Canada the night before.
Despite a valiant effort from Latvian goaltender Linards Feldbergs, who faced a staggering 105 shots in just two games, the Latvians couldn’t withstand the relentless U.S. attack. The Americans used quick, east-west puck movement to tire Feldbergs, repeatedly testing his ability to move side to side. Feldbergs, who allowed just seven goals in two games, kept his team in the contest but was ultimately overpowered.
“We were ready right from the drop of the puck,” said U.S. forward James Hagens, who contributed two assists in the win. “They’re a great hockey team, but we came in prepared and Hamps [goalie Hampton Slukynsky] played unreal.”
The game started with the U.S. taking an early lead when Danny Nelson scored just 1:58 into the first period. Latvia’s defense, while solid at times, couldn’t halt the U.S. momentum. The first period was defined by defensive discipline from Latvia, but they could not generate enough offense to equalize.
Latvia’s best chance came in the second period when a defensive miscue allowed Eriks Mateiko and Markuss Sieradzskis to break free on a two-on-one. However, U.S. goalie Slukynsky made a critical stop, maintaining the U.S. lead. Shortly after, the Americans capitalized on a power-play opportunity, with Hagens setting up Ryan Leonard for a goal. They then extended their lead to 3-0 after a well-executed four-on-four play by Zeev Buium.
Despite Feldbergs’ heroic efforts, the U.S. sealed the game late in the second period, with Nelson scoring his second goal of the night with just 5.3 seconds remaining. In the third period, Latvia showed some resilience, creating a few scoring opportunities, including a shot off the post from Davids Livsics and a goal-line save by the U.S. defense. Eventually, Livsics did manage to score for Latvia at 8:22, but the U.S. answered quickly, with Max Plante finishing off a two-on-one to restore their three-goal advantage.
The Americans’ depth and defensive play, combined with Slukynsky’s strong performance in goal, proved too much for Latvia to overcome. The U.S. now sits comfortably atop Group A with a perfect 2-0 record, while Latvia will look to bounce back in their next game.