2014 World Junior A Challenge

SCHIERHORN GETS SHUTOUT, U.S. ROLLS TO WJAC-OPENING WIN

JASON LA ROSE

KINDERSLEY, Sask. – Eric Schierhorn stopped all 24 shots he faced to record the shutout as the United States cruised to a 7-0 win over Switzerland in its opening game Monday at the 2014 World Junior A Challenge.

Schierhorn is just the second American goaltender in tournament history to record a shutout; Zane Gothberg made 23 saves to blank Sweden in the 2011 bronze medal game in Langley, B.C.

Anthony Angello paced the U.S. offence with a goal and three assists, while Andrew Ogilvie – one of three returnees from the team that won gold last year in Yarmouth, N.S. – had two goals and a helper.

Joe Snively, Thomas Novak, Shane Gersich and Brock Boeser had the other goals for the Americans, who have won 10 in a row at the tournament, dating back to Gothberg’s shutout victory over the Swedes in 2011.
Daniel Muff went the distance in net for Switzerland, finishing with 47 saves.

Snively got the scoring started at 11:13 of the first period, finishing off a pretty passing play, and Novak beat Muff from the side of the Swiss goal less than four minutes later for a 2-0 lead after one period.

The Americans really turned on the offence in the second, firing 26 shots at Muff in the middle frame, the second-most in a period in tournament history; only Germany (28 against Belarus in 2006) had more.

Oglevie made it a 3-0 game with the goal of the night seven minute into the second period, dangling around a Swiss defenceman before going high over the glove of Muff.

Gersich beat the Swiss netminder from a sharp angle at 8:25 and Boeser banged in a loose puck in the crease at 14:11 to send the Americans to the dressing room up 5-0 after 40 minutes.

Oglevie cleaned up his own rebound to make it 6-0 early in the third, and Angello scored the Americans’ only power play goal in seven chances to cap the scoring with less than six minutes to go.

The U.S. finished with a 54-26 advantage in shots on goal, reaching the 50-shot mark for the first time ever.

The Americans wrap up the preliminary round with a first-place showdown against Canada East on Tuesday afternoon (3:30 p.m. CT), while the Swiss will await for Tuesday’s results to see who they face in Wednesday’s quarter-finals.