The U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team opened the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup preliminary round with a commanding 8‑1 victory over Germany, a result that cemented its position at the top of Group B with a perfect 3‑0 record.
Semifinal Showdown Looms
From the opening period, the Americans struck early, with Emil Sender of Germany opening the scoring at 5:52, only to see Trevor Shorter answer for the United States just minutes later at 8:05 with an unassisted goal. Ethan Sung then extended the lead at 17:41, his third tournament goal arriving with assists from Shorter and Colin Grubb, putting the U.S. up 2‑1.
The second period saw a flurry of activity; Gerry DiCunzolo doubled the lead at 1:17, and later in the frame Nolan Snyder and Ryland Rooney added their names to the scoresheet, helping the Americans build a 4‑1 advantage. Colin Grubb’s contribution continued into the third period, where he opened scoring at 6:24, assisted by Snyder and DiCunzolo, before Joey Cullen capped the victory with the final goal at 12:36.
Team USA outshot Germany 36‑17 and converted 1‑4 on the power play while the Germans failed to capitalize on any of their five opportunities. Individual honors went to Grubb, who was named U.S. Player of the Game, underscoring the depth of talent on the roster.
Looking ahead, the United States will meet Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday, August 7, at 12 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The contest will be televised on the NHL Network, and the team hopes to extend its winning streak as the defending champions.