Jan. 1, 2000
UMEA, Sweden – Notre Dame freshman center Connor Dunlop assisted on the first United States goal while scoring the team’s third, helping the U.S. hockey team post a stunning 5-1 victory over the host country Sweden in quarterfinal action Saturday at the World Junior Championship.
The win propels the U.S. into a semifinal matchup in Skeffeltea with the Czech Republic on Jan. 3 at 3:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. EST), with the winner advancing to the gold medal game on Jan.4 (7:00 p.m. Sweden time). The undefeated Group B winner and defending champion Russia faces Canada in Saturday’s second semi-final, with the bronze medal game to be held Jan.4 at 2:00 p.m.
Boston University freshman goaltender Rich DePietro turned in another clutch performance on Saturday, making 36 saves while helping the U.S. thwart all nine Sweden power-play chances.
Dunlop-who again centered the second line-was one of three Notre Dame forwards who played in the game, with Dunlop winning 13 of his 21 faceoffs in the Sweden game while launching four shots on goal. Irish sophomore Brett Henning won two of his nine faceoffs as the fourth-line center while sophomore winger David Inman was used as the team’s 13th forward (he had skated with Dunlop on the second line in the previous four games).
New Hampshire left wing Patrick Foley opened the scoring late in the first period, taking a pass from Dunlop and rifling the puck over the right shoulder of goaltender Jonas Fransson (16:32).
Sweden tied the game moments before the first intermission, with third-line defenseman Peter Messa scoring off an assist from third-line center Gabriel Karlsson (19:10).
The U.S. retook the lead for good on a second-period, power-play goal from University of Maine left wing Barrett Heisten, who collected a rebound off the glass and scored from the side of the side of the net for a 2-1 lead (16:18). Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold picked up the assist on what proved to be the game-winning goal.
Dunlop provided a crucial insurance goal midway through the third period, converting an unassisted goal at the 11:12 mark. Less than five minutes later, with two U.S. players in the penalty box, Sweden pulled Fransson for a three-man advantage. But Team USA held off the offensive push and UMass-Lowell defenseman Ron Hainsey scored for a shorthanded, empty-net goal and a 4-1 lead (18:52).
With less than one minute remaining, Sweden went on the power play again but Michigan center Andy Hilbert collected a long pass from DiPietro and scored another shorthanded, empty-net goal to cap the scoring.
NOTES: The U.S. first forward line on Saturday again included Michigan State RW Adam Hall, Hilbert and Harvard LW Brett Nowak ? Dunlop was joined on the second line by Wisconsin LW Brad Winchester and Northeastern RW Willie Levesque ? the third-line forwards included Heisten, Minnesota C Jeff Taffe and Boston University LW Daniel Cavanaugh ? Henning was joined on the fourth line by BU’s John Sabo and Foley ? Saturday’s defensive pairings included: Boston College’s Brooks Orpik and Michigan’s Jeff Jillson, Maine’s Doug Janik and Colorado College’s Mike Stuart, and Leopold and BU’s Pat Aufiero ? the team’s last two players included Inman and Hainsey ? Dunlop’s tournament stats include 49 of 79 faceoffs won (62 percent), three penalties, seven shots on goal and a +1 plus-minus ratio ? Henning has won 13 of his 33 faceoffs in the tournament (39 percent) ? Inman’s tournament stats include one penalty and six shots on goal ? DePietro’s solid showing in the tournament includes a 1.50 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in 240 minutes ? Saturday’s other quarterfinal scores included: Czech Republic 6, Kazakhstan 3, Russia 4, Finland 0, and Canada 8, Switzerland 3 ? the U.S. and Czech Republic met in the first game of Group A round-robin play, with the game ending in a 2-2 tie (the Czechs tied Canada for first place in the group, winning the No.1 seed due to a better goal differential) ? a potential U.S.-Canada matchup would provide a rematch from those teams’ 1-1 tie in Friday’s final round-robin game … the U.S. power play is hitting at 15.4 percent in the tournament (4-for-26) while the U.S. penalty kill owns an 88.2 percentage (30-of-34).
USA 1 1 3 - 5Sweden 1 0 0 - 1
First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Pat Foley (Connor Dunlop), 16:32. 2, SWE, Peter Messa (Gabriel Karlsson), 19:10. Penalties: Adam Hall, USA (interference), 9:12, Frogren, SWE (holding the stick), 12:07, Lewerstrom, SWE (roughing, 4 min.), 13:22, Daniel Cavanaugh, USA (roughing, 4 min.), 13:22, Willie Levesque, USA (tripping), 13:50, Brad Winchester, USA (elbowing), 17:01.
Second Period – Scoring: 3, USA, Barrett Heisten (Jordan Leopold), 16:18 (pp). Penalties: Ron Hainsey, USA (holding), 9:19, Kronwall, SWE (cross checking), 16:04, Karlsson, SWE (tripping), 18:38, Sedin, SWE (delay of game), 19:15.
Third Period – Scoring: 4, USA, Connor Dunlop (unassisted), 11:12. 5, USA, Ron Hainsey (unassisted), 18:52 (sh) (en). 6, USA, Andy Hilbert (Rich DiPietro), 19:36 (sh) (en). Penalties: Willie Levesque, USA (interference), 7:16, Karlsson, SWE (tripping), 13:43, Brad Winchester, USA (interference), 16:29, Jeff Jillson, USA (delay of game), 17:02, Jeff Jillson, USA (unsportsmanlike), 17:02, Pat Aufiero, USA (hooking), 19:17, Doug Jamik, USA (spearing, 5 min.) 60:00, Doug Janik, USA (game-minor, 20 min.).
Shots: USA 8-11-11/30. SWE 17-6-14/37.
Saves: USA, DiPietro (16-6-14/36). SWE, Jonas Fransson (7-10-8/25).
Power Play: USA 1-for-5, SWE 0-for-9.
Penatlies: USA 13 for 47:00, SWE 7 for 14:00.