The USA and Czechia played end-to-end hockey, tied 3-3, into the third period. Each team held leads which were quickly countered in a hard-fought game. The Americans owned the final 10 minutes of regulation but could not finish off the Czechs. The game went to 5 minutes of three-on-three.

A Czech penalty gave the USA a one-man advantage in overtime for two minutes but the Americans could not score on goaltender Michael Hrabal despite some great chances. So the game went to a shootout.

The first two rounds were scoreless but the Czechs scored in round three. Gabe Perreault countered for the US to match the Czechs. In the seventh sudden-death shootout round, Isaac Howard scored to end the game.

Next up for David Carle’s Americans is Slovakia at 4:00 am MT on Sunday, December 31st to complete preliminary group play. That game will decide the top spot in Group B and most advantageous matchup in knockout play.