Team USA Gets Win

(Ottawa, Ontario) — Team USA breezed to a preliminary round win over Germany to open the World Junior Hockey Championship tournament in Ottawa Thursday.

Golden Gopher Brodie Ziemer of Chaska scored two goals to help the Americans to a 10-4 victory. Minnesota-Duluth forward Max Plante of Hermantown had an assist in the win, as did Maple Grove native Danny Nelson, who plays for Notre Dame.

Team USA is the defending gold medal-winning team and features nine Minnesotans on the roster.

Golden Gopher skaters Oliver Moore of Mounds View and Brodie Ziemer of Chaska are joined by St. Cloud State’s Colin Ralph of Maple Grove and Austin Burnevik of Blaine. In addition, Minnesota-Duluth teammates Max Plante of Hermantown and Adam Kleber of Chaska are on the U-S squad. Wisconsin’s Logan Hensler of Woodbury, Notre Dame’s Danny Nelson of Maple Grove, and Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky of Warroad finalize the nine Minnesotans on the team. Wild prospect Zeev Buium from the University of Denver is also on the American roster.

The U.S. will play another pool play game Saturday afternoon when it takes on Latvia at 2:30 PM.