🇫🇮 Finland 5-3 United States 🇺🇸
World Junior Summer Showcase
USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth 🇺🇸
Wednesday, 31 July 2024

In the lone game of the day here today at the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase, Team USA dropped a 5-3 decision to Finland at USA Hockey Arena.

The event serves as an evaluation for athletes seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, set for 26 Dec 2024 through 05 Jan 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Finland opened the scoring 1:19 into the contest as an initial shot from Kalle Kangas at the point bounced off Emil Kuusla and into the net.

Chris Pelosi tied the game for Team USA 1:52 later with a one-timer from the low slot off a feed from Noah Powell. Adam Kleber tallied an assist as well.

Kuusla put the Finns back ahead just 44 seconds later, finishing a two-on-one rush with Jesse Nurmi.

Cole Eiserman knotted the game at 7:12, snapping home a shot from the right circle after James Hagens picked the puck off a Finnish defender’s stick at the top of the zone.

Topias Hynninen restored the Finnish lead just past the halfway mark of the middle frame with a one-timer on the doorstep to make it a 3-2 game.

Rasmus Kumpulainen put Finland up by two with a power-play tally that snuck by the right post 4:26 into the third.

The U.S. pulled goaltender Nick Kempf with 4:27 left and got to within a goal with 3:01 to play when Max Plante sent a centering pass to Pelosi, who fed it back to Plante on the goal line for the finish. Nurmi’s empty-net tally with :23 left, however, sealed a 5-3 win for the visitors.

Kempf backed the U.S. in net, making 22 saves. Team USA outshot Finland, 42-26.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
01:19 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Kuusla (Kangas, Nurmi)
03:11 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Pelosi (Powell)
03:55 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Kuusla (Nurmi)
07:12 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Eiserman (Hagens)
11:31 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Svoboda, cross checking
16:25 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Ruohonen, boarding
17:05 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Ziemer, slashing

2nd Period
23:53 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Leppä, slashing
30:57 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Hynninen (Kuusla, Kangas)
34:13 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Tuhkala, cross checking
35:51 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Hagens, roughing
35:51 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Kangas, roughing
39:45 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Leppä, roughing

3rd Period
42:19 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Hendrickson, slashing
44:26 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Kumpulainen (Alasiurua, Pikkarainen)
54:51 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Kuusla, unsportsmanlike conduct
54:51 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Kleber, unsportsmanlike conduct
56:59 – 🇺🇸 EA GOAL – Plante (Pelosi)
59:37 – 🇫🇮 EN GOAL – Nurmi

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇫🇮 Vedenpää (39-42)
L: 🇺🇸 Kempf (21-25)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇫🇮 9+6+11 = 26
🇺🇸 7+18+17 = 42

ROSTERS
🇫🇮 Goaltenders: Kim Saarinen, Visa Vedenpää. Defence: Mitja Jokinen, Jimi Junkkari, Kalle Kangas (A), Niko Korkola, Niklas Nykyri, Janne Peltonen, Sebastian Soini, Arttu Tuhkala. Forwards: Arttu Alasiurua, Emil Hemming, Topias Hynninen, Aatos Koivu, Rasmus Kumpulainen (C), Emil Kuusla, Tom Leppä (A), Onni Lind, Julius Miettinen, Jesse Nurmi, Kasper Pikkarainen, Heikki Ruohonen.
🇺🇸 Goaltenders: Nick Kempf, Hampton Slukynsky. Defence: E.J. Emery, Jake Fisher, Logan Hensler, Cole Hutson, Adam Kleber, Colin Ralph, Zach Schulz. Forwards: Cole Eiserman, James Hagens, Beckett Hendrickson, Quentin Musty, Chris Pelosi, Max Plante, Noah Powell, James Reeder, Brandon Svoboda, Mac Swanson, Carey Terrance, Brodie Ziemer.

Article Credit: USA Hockey
Photo Credit: USA Hockey – IIHF – HHOF – IOC