U17 5-Nations Tournament in Slovakia

Each team played four matches in the round-robin format. The final standings saw the USA, Czechia, and Switzerland tied at 9 points each.

Czechia emerged victorious in a thrilling 8-6 win against the USA on August 17, which played a crucial role in their overall success. Switzerland also had a solid performance, winning three out of four games. Slovakia managed one win against Germany, who struggled throughout the tournament and failed to secure any points.

Key players included Petr Tomek from Czechia, who led the tournament in scoring with 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists), and Kalder Varga from the USA, who closely followed with 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists). Switzerland's Sol Fueter and Šimon Katolický from Czechia were also among the top performers.

Switzerland secured a 5-2 victory over Germany in a well-fought match at Zimný štadión Pieštany. Despite Germany matching Switzerland in total shots (30 to 27), Switzerland capitalized on their opportunities more effectively.

Switzerland took an early lead, with Vito Thoma scoring the first goal at 07:58, assisted by Clemens Troxler and Thierry Berger. Nevio Reist extended the lead to 2-0 later in the first period. Switzerland continued their dominance in the second period, with Raphaël Achermann scoring on a power play and Sol Fueter adding another goal, making it 4-0.

Germany managed to respond in the third period, with goals from Max Penkin and Jakub Kottner narrowing the gap to 4-2. However, Switzerland sealed the game with a late goal by Thierry Berger, assisted by Thoma and Troxler, ending the match at 5-2.

Dominic Ziegler was solid in goal for Switzerland, stopping 28 of 30 shots, while Germany's Niclas Wolter faced 27 shots, allowing five goals. Despite the loss, Germany showed resilience, especially in the third period, but Switzerland's early lead proved insurmountable.

Slovakia - USA 3-4

In the final game of the U17 5 Nations Tournament, the USA narrowly defeated Slovakia 4-3 in an intense match at Zimný štadión Pieštany. Slovakia started strong, taking a 2-0 lead with goals from Matej Beres and Samuel Hybsky in the first and second periods. The USA began their comeback late in the second period with a goal from Ryan Poirier, making it 2-1.

The third period saw a flurry of action. The USA tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal from Noah Davidson. Slovakia briefly regained the lead with a power-play goal from Adam Obusek, but the USA quickly responded with a goal from Kalder Varga to level the score at 3-3. With just 41 seconds left in regulation, Noah Davidson scored his second goal of the game, securing a 4-3 victory for the USA.

Despite Slovakia's strong effort, including an impressive 91.11% save rate by goaltender Samuel Hrenak, the USA's relentless pressure, particularly in the third period where they outshot Slovakia 22-6, proved decisive. The game was a thrilling conclusion to the tournament, with 299 spectators witnessing the USA's dramatic late-game win.

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