USA vs. Czechia final score, results: Americans upset in quarters, bid for back-to-back World Juniors gold ends

Bryan Murphy

•
USA vs. Czechia final score, results: Americans upset in quarters, bid for back-to-back World Juniors gold ends image

The bid for back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championship is over for the United States. It suffered a 4-2 upset loss to Czechia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night in Edmonton. 

After a perfect preliminary round (4-0-0-0), the Americans had no answer for the Czechs' sound defensive game. They struggled to sustain any offensive pressure or a consistent forecheck. 

After Logan Cooley put the USA up 1-0 early in the first period, Czechia ripped off three consecutive goals to build a 3-1 lead heading into the final period. Jan Mysak tied the game late in the first before goals from Petr Hauser and Matyas Sapovaliv gave the Czechs a two-goal lead. 

MORE: Watch the 2022 World Juniors live with fuboTV (free trial, U.S. only)

Carter Mazur cut the U.S. deficit to one with a power-play goal, but Jiri Kulich sealed the upset win for Czechia with an empty-net goal. 

Tomas Suchanek was fantastic for Czechia in net, stopping 28 of 30 shots to earn Player of the Game honors. Czechia moves on to face Canada in the semifinals on Friday.

The USA's loss means that the team will not play for a medal at this year's competition. It is just the second time in the past seven years that it will not medal at the World Juniors. 

Team USA's three best players at the tournament were named at the end of the game. The honors went to Mazur, Thomas Bordeleau and Luke Hughes. 

The Sporting News provided live scoring updates and highlights throughout the contest. 

USA vs. Czechia score

Matchup P1 P2 P3 OT F
USA 1 0 1 0 2
Czechia 1 2 1 0 4

USA vs. Czechia live updates, highlights from 2022 World Juniors

FINAL: Czechia 4, USA 2

12:59 a.m. — Matt Coronato had a wide open net on the left, but he somehow misses. He is in dismay. It looks like David Spacek might have gotten a stick on it. 

12:58 a.m. — GOAL! Jiri Kulich picks off a bad pass by Hughes and races down in a breakaway, putting it in the empty net. Still 1:30 left, but the USA is down by two. 

12:56 a.m. — Net is empty for the USA with under two minutes to go. It's crunch time for the defending champs. 

12:50 a.m. — The five-minute penalty is over and while the USA is still down, there is life. This is the most energy they've played with so far today, and are down just one with five minutes left. 

12:47 a.m. — Cooley turns the puck over in the neutral zone and it sends Martin Rysavy in on a breakaway. His shot rips up and over the net, looks like Cooley may have gotten away with a slash as he was hunting down Rysavy. 

12:45 a.m. — GOAL! There's one for the USA. Mazur cleans up a loose puck at the top of the crease and makes it a one-goal game. That's a greasy goal by Mazur, who loved to get ot the front of the net. 3-2 Czechia with over eight minutes left in the game, and 2:30 left on the Svozil major. 

12:43 a.m. — Samoskevich rifles a shot that beats Suchanek, but it clangs off the iron. Game of inches. 

12:42 a.m. — Svozil gets five and a game. Not a smart penalty by the Czech defenseman and now, the USA power play can go to work. This is a potentially game-changing moment. 

12:41 a.m. — We might have another major called, this time on Czechia as Svozil sticks his leg out and clips Cooley in the neutral zone. It's going to a review. 

12:38 a.m. — The Americans are able to kill off the Berard major. A missed opportunity for Czechia to build on their lead, but they were able to wipe away five minutes off the clock. 

12:34 a.m. — Back to 5 on 4 for Czechia as Svozil is out of the box. Carter Mazur had a good chance, getting in close on Suchanek, but his shot is stopped. 

12:30 a.m. — Big break for the USA, as Stanislav Svozil is called for hooking. As he comes in on the forecheck, he gets the stick in on the hands on the American defenseman. It'll be 4 on 4 for two minutes before the Czechs get back on the power play. 

12:28 a.m. — Five and a game for Berard. That's not only an incredibly dumb penalty to take, but a dirty one by Berard. Now the USA have to fight off a five-minute power play. 

12:26 a.m. — Not the start the USA was looking for. Brett Berard slew-foots David Jiricek behind the play for literally no reason at all. He's called for a major, but it's going to review. Whether it's a minor or major, a stupid, stupid penalty by Berard. 

12:23 a.m. — Luke Hughes remains on the ice for the third period, but he's not 100%. He's trying to play through it, but we'll see how much he sees the ice if he isn't effective. 

2nd period

12:05 a.m. — After two periods, Czechia holds a two-goal lead over the USA. Czechia thoroughly outplayed the Americans in that frame. The Czechs are being responsible with the puck and quickly getting it up and out of their own zone. Both goals in that period came off of rushes. 

11:58 p.m. — Credit to Luke Hughes for fighting through it, but he's not the same. It's clear the leg is limiting his skating ability, which is arguably his greatest strength. We'll see what his ice time is like as this game rolls on with the U.S. down. 

11:54 p.m. — This is just not at all the Team USA we saw in the preliminary round. Czechia isn't letting them play their game, as they are baring down and have been a lot tougher in the corners and winning 1 on 1 battles. USA's forecheck has been their bread and butter, and Czechia is not allowing them to retrieve pucks and get offensive zone possession. 

11:48 p.m. — GOAL! Another goal coming off the rush for Czechia as Matyas Sapovaliv's shot squeaks through Mbereko and crosses over the goal line. A clean breakout for Czechia leads to the chance and that's one Mbereko is going to want back. 3-1 Czechia with about nine minutes left in the middle frame. 

11:41 p.m. — GOAL! Petr Hauser rips a shot off the rush that goes off the post and in and Czechia is up 2-1. Coming down on a 3 on 2, Hauser took a pass from Ivan Ivan and had plenty of time to grip it and rip it. It's the first time all tournament that the USA has fallen behind in a game, and they deserve to be behind right now as Czechia has been great this period. 

11:37 p.m. — Excellent scoring chance for Berard, who finds himself behind the Czech defensemen in their zone, but his attempt is denied by Suchanek. A great feed from James found Berard cutting towards the net. He pulls back to his forehand, but Suchanek flashes the pad for the stop. 

11:35 p.m. — This is by far the most competitive game we've seen the USA face. Czechia has been the better team thus far in the second period. USA just doesn't seem to have that jump that we're used to seeing. 

11:32 p.m. — Luke Hughes, who was hurt at the end of the first, came out on the ice in the second, skated a shift, but it's clear he's shaken up. We'll keep an eye on him. 

End 1st period: USA 1, Czechia 1

11:08 p.m. — A very even period played, but it was Czechia carrying the momentum by the end. USA was the better team for about 15 minutes, but not by much. Czechia strung together a few good shifts at the end to get the equilizer and it's a tie game after 20 minutes. 

11:06 p.m. — GOAL! After a couple of really strong shifts, Czechia gets on the board. It's the captain Jan Mysak, who has been far and beyond Czechia's best player at the tournament. He tips a shot from Jiri Tichachek high in the slot and it bounces by Kaiden Mbereko. With about two minutes left, we have a tie game. 

11:04 p.m. — Good response from Czechia after the Cooley goal. They haven't had a super close chance, but they are getting sustained pressure on the Americans. 

10:58 p.m. — GOAL! USA strikes first, as Logan Cooley capitalizes off an unlucky turnover by Suchanek behind the net. As the puck was dumped in behind Czechia's net, Suchanek passed the puck along the boards. It took a weird bounce off a stanchion and went right on the stick of Matt Coronato. He immediately turned and fired it on Suchanek who stopped the first shot, but Cooley knocks in the rebound. It's 1-0 USA with about eight minutes left in the first. 

10:56 p.m. — A competitive, back-and-forth period so far. Carter Mazur nearly got the USA on the board, as Tomas Suchanek came out of his crease to swipe away a puck from Landon Slaggert. The puck is knocked down and Mazur just couldn't handle it; he was looking at an open net. 

10:46 p.m. — The USA's speed on the forecheck is one thing, but the team finishes every check. It's not just that they are on you quickly, it's that they're coming to either take the puck or take the body. Czechia's defensemen are going to have to be on high alert when retrieving pucks in their own zone. 

10:41 p.m. — First good chance comes for the USA as Dominic James is open on the back door for a pass from Mackie Samoskevich, but he's on his backhand and can't handle it cleanly. There just wasn't enough time for him to open up for a one-timer, and Samoskevich's pass was out in front of him in his feet. It starts with an excellent pass from Brett Berard to Samoswkevich. 

Pregame 

9:30 p.m. — Team USA rolls out the same lineup as we've seen to ends the prelims. 

What channel is USA vs. Czechia on today?

  • Canada: TSN4
  • United States: NHL Network

TSN has all the World Juniors action in Canada. In the United States, viewers can find the games on NHL Network.

E.J. Hradek will be on the call for NHL Network. He'll be joined by analyst Dave Starman and reporter Jon Rosen. 

How to live stream World Juniors hockey games

Fans in Canada can stream all World Juniors games on TSN.ca or the TSN app. U.S. fans can stream the tournament on fuboTV (which comes with a free trial), NHL.tv or the NHL app.

USA vs. Czechia start time

  • Start time: 10:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local)

The quarterfinal between the U.S. and Czechia will start at 10:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. local time, from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta., home of the NHL's Oilers and WHL's Oil Kings.

MORE: Team USA 2022 World Juniors roster, results

USA vs. Czechia odds

  • USA: -3.5 (+119)
  • Czechia: +3.5 (-164)

The puckline stands at 3.5 for Wednesday's game between the USA and Czechia, according to Sports Interaction. The U.S. failed to cover the puckline against Germany and Sweden but covered it in its wins over Switzerland and Austria.  

USA World Juniors schedule 2022

(All times Eastern)

Date Opponent Result
Aug. 9 Germany W, 5-1
Aug. 11 Switzerland W, 7-1
Aug. 13 Austria W, 7-0
Aug. 14 Sweden W, 3-2
Aug. 17 Czechia (quarterfinals) L, 4-2

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.