Team USA nearly went up a pair after a Cullen Potter (Minneapolis, Minn.) breakout pass found Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) who snuck behind the defense. Moore moved the puck to Mooney on his wing and fired a shot that was turned aside.
Team USA goaltender Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) kept the U.S. in front despite being tested early on. At the 9:52 mark, a loose puck bounced around the crease as Finland scrambled towards the net front, however, Quinlan got his pads on the shot and sent it towards the boards.
The U.S. got out to a 2-0 advantage at 12:39 when Horcoff picked the top corner from the faceoff dot after Garrett Lindberg (Moorhead, Minn.) floated the puck to him on a rush up the ice.
In the opening minutes of the middle frame, Quinlan once again kept the game at bay, halting a three-on-two chance. Moore increased the U.S. lead to 3-0 with 6:25 to go in the period with help from Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.). Starting in his own defensive zone, Barnett sent a pass blue line to blue line to Moore, who slowed down near the crease, waited out Sammalniemi with stick handles and snuck it past his stretched-out pad.
Horcoff tallied his second of the game at 6:18 of the final period. With the man advantage, Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) found an open Drew Schock (Green Bay, Wis.) on the blue line who sent it on net through traffic where Horcoff redirected the shot in.
Finland scored its lone goal of the contest on the power play at 10:14.
Quinlan played the first two periods in goal for the U.S., stopping all 21 shots faced. Joey Slavick (Westland, Mich.) played the final 20 minutes and stopped eight shots.
NOTES: Both teams were 1-2 on the power play… The U.S. outshot Finland, 40-30… Team USA will play all of its preliminary round games at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas… Tickets for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship can be purchased online here… For complete tournament news, including full schedule, broadcast information, stats and standings, click here.