DU’s Zeev Buium scored to give the US to a 2-1 lead at 10:13 of the first period, threading through Slovak defenders before placing a shot through the goaltender’s five-hole. Buium’s tally gave the USA a lead they would never relinquish as they went on to dominate Slovakia 10-2 in a showdown of the top two teams from Group B.
(Re-posting)
Zeev Buium (2024) dangles through traffic for his second goal of the tournament @DU_Hockey #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/WxKbJMZy0T— Ryan Sikes (@ryan_sikes10) December 31, 2023
Michigan’s Rutger McGroarty led the US with 3 goals while Zeev Buium had a goal and an assist and was +4 on the day, tied among the team leaders in plus/minus. The US goal scoring was all the more surprising with University of Minnesota scoring star Jimmy Snuggerud out with illness.
DU coach David Carle was a perfect 4-0 in the preliminary round, and the US team accomplished its first goal of winning Group B. The U.S. will now face Group A’s fourth-place team in Tuesday’s quarter-finals, with the specific opponent and game time to be determined later today (Sunday).
Love the growth Carle’s USA team is showing. They have the best offense in the tourney, and watching them is similar to watching DU in the offensive zone, albeit without the 10 first round draft picks Team USA has….
Buium is not even on the regular power play, and still has the second-most points among the team’s defensemen, one point behind Lane Hutson. This is typically a 19 year-old’s tournament, so for for Buium as a just-turned-18 year old to do that is special.
Great for the U.S. and Carle’s team. Zeev Buium, like his brother, is a special player.