Ben Syer & Team USA Win Gold At Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Princeton males’s ice hockey head coach Ben Syer will return to campus this week with a particular memento from his summer season adventures — a gold medal with Team USA on the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Serving as Associate Head Coach with the United States, Syer was behind the bench because the Americans defeated Sweden, 5-3, within the gold medal sport on August 16 in Trencin, Slovakia. The win is simply the second all-time for Team USA within the 34 years of the event and first since 2003.

A outstanding preseason showcase for upcoming NHL Draft prospects, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup featured elite Under-18 gamers from the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland. Germany and Slovakia.

The United States went 2-1 in Group Play, with wins over Slovakia (6-3) and Germany (8-1) to complete second in Group B and advance to the semifinals.

In the semis, the U.S. defeated Canada in a shootout, 4-3, to maneuver on to the gold medal sport.

In the ultimate, the U.S. noticed Sweden — the one staff to defeat the Americans in group play — a lead simply 10 seconds into the sport. Team USA responded lower than three minute later to tie the sport and took a lead one minute after that. After Sweden tied the sport at 2-2. Team USA related on an influence play late within the first to take a 3-2 lead into intermission.

Another power-play aim from the United States 45 seconds into the second interval prolonged their result in 4-2, and after Sweden closed to inside one by the tip of the second interval it was one other PPG — the fourth of the sport for Team USA — that sealed the win and a gold medal for the primary time in 22 years.