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27th June 2026 - Vojtěch Jirucha, photo: Michal Struž

USA Avenges Group-Stage Defeat to Canada, Advances to Final After Great Comeback

In the North American semifinal clash between the USA and Canada, it initially looked like one-way traffic for the maple leaves, who stormed into the game and took an early lead through Noah Perlic. However, the Americans came out of nowhere to level the score before the end of the first period thanks to a goal from PJ Biagetti. They then significantly raised their game, showcasing incredible efficiency to score three quick goals. The rest of the second period saw no further changes to the scoreboard. Although the Canadians raised their game in the final period and managed to reduce the deficit with two minutes left in regulation, there was no time left for them to complete a dramatic comeback. After capturing bronze at the last two tournaments, the Americans move on to the coveted gold medal game, while Canada is left to fight for bronze.

Ostravar Aréna

3-4
(1:1, 0:3, 1:0)

Canada - USA

Penalties
0:4
PPG
1:0
SHG
0:0
Shots on goal
30:15
Statistics

Goals and assists

4. Perlic (Richards), 33. White (Lemos, Anderson), 44. Z. Rawji (Nixon, Lemos) – 15. Biagetti (N. Carter, Caron), 18. Phillips (Bruno), 19. Callahan (Malloy, Andes), 22. Bruno (Battista)

Referees

Jevgenij Danylec, Michal Laczko

Spectators

1398

Canada

Lantin (22. Cooper) – Schollig, Matchim, Davidson, Lemos, Maher, Nixon, Livingston – W. Birkett, J. Birkett, Evans – White, Anderson, Z. Rawji – Provencal, Laurencelle, Tanguay – Mainman, Perlic, Laframboise – K. Rawji, Richards.

USA

A. Carter – Nikolajski, Dutney, Caron, N. Carter, Smith, Wilson, Melillo – Callahan, Malloy, Andes – Bruno, Battista, Biagetti – McStravick, Phillips, Manning Almeida – Wood, Fornaris, Kleckner – Tumminello.

COACHES´ REACTIONS

James Cormier (CAN): "Every loss hurts, and this one is no different. This game has a way of keeping you humble, and it reminded us of that. We had a good start and got the opening goal, but we couldn't find the second one, and I felt that we gradually lost some of our energy. That's surprising because throughout the tournament we've shown great resilience, but we just couldn't overcome the adversity. The two quick goals early in the second period were a major setback, but for me the real turning point came when we failed to capitalize on our power-play opportunities late in the second. We gave everything we had, but it wasn't enough. Now we have to regroup quickly, learn from this loss and be ready to give our best effort in the bronze-medal game."

James Mentis (USA): "It's a fantastic feeling. This is exactly what I envisioned for this team, and I'm thrilled that we've reached the final. After meeting Canada in the group stage, we knew there was a good chance we'd face them again, so we held a few things back for this game. We made some important adjustments, especially with the way we pressured their defense, and that helped us score four goals. Killing the 5-on-3 penalty was a huge turning point, but it was just as important that we survived their early pressure. They came at us hard in the opening minutes, but once we settled into the game, we started creating and finishing our chances. The final two minutes were incredibly stressful—probably the longest two minutes of my life—but it was all worth it to earn a place in the final."

Photogallery

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