The United States Under-18 Men’s Select Team posted a convincing 4‑1 win over Finland in the second round of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, improving to a 2‑0‑0‑0 record and taking sole possession of Group B with six points.
Ethan Sung was the offensive catalyst, opening the scoring with a power‑play marker at 7:34 of the first period and adding a second goal at 6:52 of the third to seal the lead. Joey Cullen contributed a goal at 8:12, while Becker Wenkus capped the victory with an empty‑net tally at 18:21.
Between the pipes, Mason Courville turned in a stellar performance, making 26 saves and frustrating the Finnish attack, including 12 stops in the opening frame alone.
Finland managed to pull one back at 13:56 of the second period when Niklas Borgstrom converted a power‑play chance, but the U.S. response was immediate and relentless.
Dominant display against Finland
Head coach Reid Cashman praised the squad’s effort, noting that the team executed its game plan for the full 60 minutes and displayed the intensity required at this level. The Americans will now turn their attention to a highly anticipated showdown with Germany tomorrow at 7 p.m. local time.