In their final preliminary game of the tournament, the US men’s team faced the consistently strong Czechia in a battle for first place in the A2 division. The game started tightly contested, but an early Czech goal off an odd-man rush put the Czechs ahead 1-0. The Czech offense continued to press, countering American possessions with more odd-man rushes, forcing US goalie Robby Snyder to make some impressive saves. Despite Snyder’s efforts, the coaching staff eventually replaced him with Andrew Carter.
Carter faced similar challenges as Snyder, allowing three goals from the Czechs’ excellent scoring opportunities. The game concluded with a decisive 6-0 victory for Czechia, marking the first loss of the tournament for the US men. Despite the loss, the US team qualified for the A pool in the playoffs and will continue their quest for gold against the Slovaks on Wednesday.
