US Hockey Team, With SoCal Players, Wins At Winter Youth Olympics

LADERA RANCH, CA — The U.S. will face Czechia for the men's hockey gold medal at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Wednesday in Gangwon, South Korea, with a team including two Southern Californians.

Forwards Logan Stuart of Rancho Palos Verdes and Zane Torre of Ladera Ranch each had an assist in the Americans' 6-5 shootout victory over Canada in a semifinal Tuesday.

The 3 a.m. Pacific Standard Time game will be streamed on Peacock and for free at olympics.com/en/gangwon-2024/live-stream. Registration is required to watch the game on the Olympics' website but there is no charge.

Stuart assisted on JP Hurlbert's goal that put the Americans ahead 2- 1, two minutes, 58 seconds into the 15-minute second period, five shorter than usual. The assist was the second of the tournament for Stuart, a son of retired NHL defenseman Brad Stuart.

The U.S. increased its lead to 3-1 1:46 later when Shaffer Gordon- Carroll put in a rebound of a shot by Torre.

The goal prompted Canadian coach Ryan Smith to replace goaltender Carter Esler with Mario Beites.

Canada cut the deficit to 3-2 on Zachary Nyman's goal 7:38 into the second period when it enjoyed a two-man advantage. The Canadians tied the score 29 seconds into the third period on Mathis Preston's goal.

The Americans regained the lead 1:53 later on the second goal of the game by Parker Trottier, a grandson of Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier. Trottier opened the scoring 1:39 into the second period.

The Canadians tied the score, 4-4, with 6:29 left on Preston's second goal. The U.S. regained the lead when Mikey Berchild scored on a rebound of a shot by Tyler Martyniuk with 5:01 to play.

Berchild, Trottier and goaltender Xavier Wendt are among Torre's teammates at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, the bordering school in Faribault, Minnesota which has produced 42 NHL players and 21 Olympians, including seven gold medalists.

Canada tied the score, 5-5, with 2:06 remaining on Nyman's second goal.

The U.S. shot first in the shootout with Hurlbert scoring on the first shot. Wendt made saves on the Canadians' first and third shots while Preston lost control of the puck and was unable to take a shot on their second attempt.

Wendt made 37 saves as the Americans were outshot, 42-16. Esler made six saves and allowed three goals in the opening 19:44. Beites made five saves and allowed two goals in the final 25:16.

Stuart scored with one second left in the first period in Monday's 6-5 shootout loss to Czechia, which is more widely known in English as the Czech Republic.

Torre scored 45 goals and had 27 assists for 72 points in 45 games for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks 13-and-under AAA team in the 2021-22 season, then had 42 goals and 49 assists for 91 points in 59 games for Shattuck-Saint Mary's 14- and-under team in the 2022-23 season.

Stuart had 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points in 17 games for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings 13-and-under AAA team in the 2021-22 season and 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in 27 games for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14-and- under AAA team in the 2022-23 season before joining the Farmington Hills, Michigan-based Little Caesars program.

All of the players on the U.S. team are 15 except for Wendt, who turned 16 last Wednesday, and defensemen AJ Francisco, who turned 16 Jan. 10, and Luke Schairer, who turned 16 Tuesday.

The U.S.' lone gold medal in men's hockey in the Winter Youth Olympic Games came in 2016. It finished fourth in 2012 and second in 2020.

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