Team USA beats Russia in World Junior Hockey Championship
Team USA players celebrate after defeating Russia during the shootout of a semifinal game at the World Junior ice hockey championships, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 in Montreal. Credit: AP / Ryan Remiorz
MONTREAL — Troy Terry scored on all three of his shootout attempts, the last in the seventh round to give the United States a 4-3 victory over Russia on Wednesday in the World Junior Hockey semifinals.
Terry scored the winner right after Russia’s Alexander Polunin hit the crossbar. The University of Denver forward beat Ilya Samsonov through the legs for the third time. Jeremy Bracco of Freeport also scored in the shootout.
Boston College’s Colin White scored twice and Wisconsin’s Luke Kunin added a goal in regulation for the Americans. Tyler Parsons stopped 33 shots. Parsons plays for London in the Ontario Hockey League.
Other Long Islanders on the team are Charlie McAvoy (Long Beach) and Adam Fox (Jericho). Bracco, a forward who plays for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, scored in USA’s quarterfinal victory over Switzerland. McAvoy, who plays for Boston University, and Fox, who plays for Harvard, are defensemen. McAvoy is an alternate captain.
“He has great skill, great hands,” McAvoy said of Terry’s shootout goals.
Seeking its fourth title and first since 2013, the U.S. beat Russia in the knockout round for the first time in eight games. The Americans also beat Russia 3-2 in the preliminary round. Kunin tied it at 2 on a power play at 10:23. The Minnesota Wild first-round draft pick completed a beautiful tic-tac-toe play from Bracco and Jordan Greenway.
Clayton Keller could have put the game away for the Americans when he was awarded a penalty shot at 5:14 of the third. White went high with his backhander, and Samsonov made a nice glove save.
Canada faced Sweden later Wednesday in the other semifinal.
