Monday, May 18, 2015
U.S. Claims Bronze at Worlds
Five current NCAA players, 14 alums among U.S. team that claims second medal in three years.
The youngest U.S. entry in memory at the World Championship – a team that featured five players from NCAA hockey in 2014-15 – claimed the bronze medal Sunday with a 3-0 victory over host Czech Republic.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, just a year removed from UMass Lowell, starred again for the Americans, making 39 saves in the shutout. The Winnipeg Jets prospect was named to the tournament’s all-star team by the media.
The five current NCAA players included Hobey Baker Award winner Jack Eichel (Boston University), who was the youngest player at the tournament at 18 years old. The NHL Draft-eligible Eichel recorded 7 points in 10 games.
Brock Nelson (North Dakota) led the team with 6 goals and 10 points.
Other key contributors from the college ranks included team captain Matt Hendricks (St. Cloud State) and top scorer among defensemen Torey Krug (Michigan State).
One NCAA alum captured gold with Team Canada: Patrick Wiercioch (Denver).
NCAA Alums to Win IIHF World Championship Medals
| Canada – Gold | |
| Patrick Wiercioch | Denver |
| United States – Bronze | |
| Mark Arcobello | Yale |
| Nick Bonino | Boston University |
| Charlie Boyle | Boston University |
| Jack Eichel* | Boston University |
| Justin Faulk | Minnesota Duluth |
| Jake Gardiner | Wisconsin |
| Connor Hellebuyck | UMass Lowell |
| Matt Hendricks | St. Cloud State |
| Torey Krug | Michigan State |
| Dylan Larkin* | Michigan |
| Anders Lee | Notre Dame |
| Alex Lyon* | Yale |
| Steve Moses | New Hampshire |
| Brock Nelson | North Dakota |
| Zach Redmond | Ferris State |
| Mike Reilly* | Minnesota |
| Dan Sexton | Bowling Green |
| Ben Smith | Boston College |
| Jimmy Vesey* | Harvard |
| * Played NCAA in 2014-15 | |