The U.S. National Junior Team suffered a 2-1 defeat Monday against Russia in the semifinals of the IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki.
[scg_html_wjc2016]Christian Dvorak staked the U.S. to a 1-0 lead in the first period and Alex Nedeljkovic made 31 saves in the Team USA crease.
“We battled to the end,” said U.S. coach Ron Wilson in a news release. “We hit a couple of posts that kept us from extending our lead and I think if one goes in, that changes the outcome of the game. Fortunately, the tournament isn’t over and there’s still a medal at stake. Our team will be ready to make our country proud.”
Dvorak was named the U.S. Player of the Game.
Team USA will face Sweden in the bronze medal game at 9 a.m. EDT on Jan. 5.
