GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Isaac Howard scored in the opening goal of the game and added the clincher in a shootout as the United States outlasted Czechia, 4-3, on Friday at the world junior hockey championship.e Sweden, meanwhile, posted its third straight shutout with a 2-0 win over Canada.
Howard, a Michigan State sophomore, scored just 1 minute, 12 seconds into the game, but the Americans were challenged for the first time in three games. It was 1-1 after the first period, and Adam Bares’ goal 6:23 into the second gave the the Czechs a 2-1 lead and the first deficit of the tournament for the United States.
Will Smith tied things at 2 at 8:04, but Robin Sapousek answered at 11:47 to give Czechia another lead. Ryan Chesley scored less than 3 minutes later to knot things up again. The teams were scoreless in the third period and overtime, which was the first of this year’s tournament.
Jacob Fowler had 20 saves and stopped six of the seven shots he faced in the shootout, where the Americans got a goal from Gabe Perreault to avoid a loss and set up Howard’s winner two rounds later.
Michael Hrabal made 30 saves for Czechia.
U.S. goalie Trey Augustine missed the game because of illness, forcing Fowler into a back-to-back after Thursday’s 11-3 win over Switzerland. Defenseman Seamus Casey was also out.
Next up for the Americans is a Sunday showdown for first place in Group B against unbeaten Slovakia, which routed Norway, 8-4, earlier Friday.
In other games, Finland shut out Latvia, 4-0, and Sweden got another sterling performance from its defense to stay unbeaten.
Sweden got second-period goals from Tom Willander and Noah Ostlund and needed only 16 saves from Hugo Havelid to win the showdown with the Canadians, who had outscored their first two opponents 15-2. Sweden has not given up a goal through three games, winning by a combined 13-0 heading into its group play finale against Finland on Sunday.
