A tense final stretch
The United States men's hockey squad slipped to a 5‑4 defeat against Latvia, dropping them to sixth place in Group A.
That result means the Americans no longer hold the reins of their own destiny; advancement now hinges on a cascade of results from the weekend's other matches.
Austria's surprise victory over Germany earlier in the tournament opened two distinct pathways for the U.S., but the window is narrowing.
What the numbers say
As the standings stand heading into Sunday's action, Austria sits third with nine points, Germany fourth with seven, Latvia fifth with six and the United States sixth with five.
The upcoming games will be decisive: Latvia must face Great Britain, while Austria takes on Finland. The outcomes of those contests will set the parameters for any chance the U.S. still has.
If Latvia manages to beat Great Britain, the United States would stay alive but would trail by four points with two games remaining. Conversely, a Latvian loss would keep the U.S. within one point of the chase, provided they first defeat Hungary on Monday.
Should Austria win in regulation against Finland, the American team would be mathematically eliminated, regardless of their own results. Any other result would keep the Austria‑USA matchup on Tuesday meaningful, assuming the Americans have already dispatched Hungary.
Germany, scheduled to meet Great Britain on Monday, can still finish with a maximum of ten points, which would put them ahead of the U.S. However, the Americans hold the head‑to‑head tiebreaker over Germany after their earlier victory.
The most optimistic scenario for the United States requires Austria to stumble against Finland, coupled with wins over both Hungary and Austria in the final two games. Only then could the U.S. clinch a quarterfinal berth.