The Americans, coming out of the A2 pool with the 2 seed, faced a formidable opponent in the Slovakia ball hockey team for their quarterfinal matchup. The game began with a tightly contested first period, showcasing strong defensive efforts from both sides.
The breakthrough came early in the second period when Connor Callahan, the team’s young standout who had earned a spot on the first line, opened the scoring. Shortly after, Jordan Albright doubled the lead with a precision one-timer into the bottom corner, set up by an excellent pass from Jonny Ruiz.
Ruiz continued to shine, scoring a short-handed goal later in the second period. He then played a key role in Nicola Levesque’s goal, which came after a series of impressive plays and shots in the offensive zone.
In the third period, Ruiz scored his second goal with a spectacular spin move shot, finding the bottom of the net once again. Despite a valiant comeback effort by Slovakia, including pulling their goalie with over five minutes left, the Americans maintained their composure.
Jordan Albright and Nicola Levesque each scored empty-netters, securing a decisive 7-3 victory for the Americans and earning them a spot in the semifinals.
