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'U' Helps Team USA Claim WJC Gold Medal
1/5/2024 4:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Four Gophers skaters and one coach with Team USA
GOTHENBURG, Sweden - Featuring four University of Minnesota men's hockey skaters and one coach, the United States won a gold medal Friday in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship after a 6-2 victory over tournament host Sweden from Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden. Ryan Chesley, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and Jimmy Snuggerud, along with Gophers' associate head coach Steve Miller helped lead the Americans to their sixth-ever gold medal at the event, first since 2021, with a perfect 7-0 record.
Chesley was a top-pair defenseman for Team USA and ranked second on the team, averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time, while serving as an alternate captain. The sophomore tallied four points in seven games and delivered a game-tying goal late in the second period of a preliminary game versus Czechia (Dec. 29) for his lone goal. In the next outing, Chesley had a two-assist performance during a win over Slovakia (Dec. 31), including a helper on the game-winning goal and posted his third assist in a semifinal win over Finland (Jan. 4). He also was third for the Red, White, and Blue behind a plus-nine rating.
Moore finished his first WJC with the Americans registering three points on a goal and two assists in seven outings. The Gophers freshman picked up his first point with an assist versus Slovakia (Dec. 31) before having a multi-point effort in the final game of the preliminary round against Latvia (Jan. 2) where he recorded a goal and an assist. He also had a goal and an assist in two pre-tournament contests.
Rinzel appeared in all seven games for Team USA along the blueline and tallied one assist, coming in the victory against Slovakia (Dec. 31). A native of Chanhassen, Minn., he also scored a goal in the final pre-tournament game. The freshman from the Gophers totaled nearly 15 minutes on the ice per contest and was a plus-three overall.
After ranking second in American scoring a year ago, Snuggerud put together another impressive WJC, recording eight points on five goals and three assists, including a point in five of six games played. The Chaska, Minn., product net Team USA's first goal of the tournament in the opener versus Norway (Dec. 26). He went on to post the tournament's first hat trick, scoring three times in the first 13 minutes against Switzerland (Dec. 28) and was named the Player of the Game thanks to a four-point performance, all of which came in the first period. Snuggerud added an assist in the quarterfinals and a power-play tally in the semifinals to register the most career goals (10) of any University of Minnesota representative in event history, while his 10 goals and 21 points rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in U.S. history.
The Gophers have been represented by at least one player at the tournament in 45 of the 48 years it has been played. Minnesota is back in action at 3M Arena at Mariucci for a non-conference series against No. 20 Colorado College Jan. 7-8 live on FOX 9+ and B1G+.
Chesley was a top-pair defenseman for Team USA and ranked second on the team, averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time, while serving as an alternate captain. The sophomore tallied four points in seven games and delivered a game-tying goal late in the second period of a preliminary game versus Czechia (Dec. 29) for his lone goal. In the next outing, Chesley had a two-assist performance during a win over Slovakia (Dec. 31), including a helper on the game-winning goal and posted his third assist in a semifinal win over Finland (Jan. 4). He also was third for the Red, White, and Blue behind a plus-nine rating.
Moore finished his first WJC with the Americans registering three points on a goal and two assists in seven outings. The Gophers freshman picked up his first point with an assist versus Slovakia (Dec. 31) before having a multi-point effort in the final game of the preliminary round against Latvia (Jan. 2) where he recorded a goal and an assist. He also had a goal and an assist in two pre-tournament contests.
Rinzel appeared in all seven games for Team USA along the blueline and tallied one assist, coming in the victory against Slovakia (Dec. 31). A native of Chanhassen, Minn., he also scored a goal in the final pre-tournament game. The freshman from the Gophers totaled nearly 15 minutes on the ice per contest and was a plus-three overall.
After ranking second in American scoring a year ago, Snuggerud put together another impressive WJC, recording eight points on five goals and three assists, including a point in five of six games played. The Chaska, Minn., product net Team USA's first goal of the tournament in the opener versus Norway (Dec. 26). He went on to post the tournament's first hat trick, scoring three times in the first 13 minutes against Switzerland (Dec. 28) and was named the Player of the Game thanks to a four-point performance, all of which came in the first period. Snuggerud added an assist in the quarterfinals and a power-play tally in the semifinals to register the most career goals (10) of any University of Minnesota representative in event history, while his 10 goals and 21 points rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in U.S. history.
The Gophers have been represented by at least one player at the tournament in 45 of the 48 years it has been played. Minnesota is back in action at 3M Arena at Mariucci for a non-conference series against No. 20 Colorado College Jan. 7-8 live on FOX 9+ and B1G+.
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