Kuwait City, Kuwait - December 17 - The USA Men's Junior National Team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FINA Men's Junior World Championship following a 12-6 win over Canada earlier today. A balanced attack was paced by two goals apiece from
Hannes Daube,
Ash Molthen,
Marko Vavic, Tommy Gruwell and
Garrett Zaan.
Adrian Weinberg played the bulk of the match posting 12 saves while
Kent Emden saw time in the fourth quarter adding one save. Team USA returns to action on Wednesday against defending champion Greece in the quarterfinal round at 12pm et/9am pt. Streaming is available via FINATV.live (subscription required).
Recap via FINA.org/Russell McKinnon
United States of America swam into the quarter-finals and has the honour of facing reigning champion Greece, which has yet to be tested in Kuwait. Canada will head to what is a powerful 9-12 bracket and play Australia, who lost to Japan with a final-quarter buzzer-beater. The North American teams were at loggerheads in the first quarter with the referees having to call for relative calm and concentration. USA had a dream start with 4-1 at the quarter break and then to 5-1 several minutes into the next period. Canadian captain Reuel D'Souza, who scored a penalty goal, was then surprisingly shuffled out of the match on three major fouls at 5:02 in the second, thus stripping Canada of its most potent weapon. USA scored twice more before the halftime break and relished the five-goal advantage. The last goal came from big man
Garrett Zaan after a timeout and he received the ball smack in front of the cage to make it 7-2. Canadian responded brilliantly at the top of the third, with Bogdan Djerkovic for his second and Harrison Henning scoring. Zaan found himself free four metres in front of the cage and hammered the eighth USA goal at 4:35. Neither side found a gap and late in the period USA captain
Hannes Daube, a senior international, took a penalty attempt, which hit the bar and rebounded Canada's way. It was one-way traffic for a while on the scoreboard in the fourth with
Ash Molthen from the top,
Marko Vavic with a penalty goal and Jacob Ehrhardt on the right wing lifting the score to 11-4. Stephen Gloade pegged one back on a wonderful counter before Daube rifled one in from the top left.
Quarters: 1-4, 1-3, 2-1, 2-4
Referees: Michiel Zwart (NED), Michael Brooks (NZL)
Extra man: CAN: 1/9. USA: 3/5.
Penalties: CAN: 1/1. USA: 2/3.
Teams:
CANADA: Brody McKnight, Antonios Giannatsis, Bogdan Djerkovic (3), Jeremie Cote, Harrison Henning (1), Nick Seredjuc, Kyril Marinov, Bor Tanasijevic, Stefan Dabic, Stephen Gloade (1), Max MacMillan, Reuel D'Souza (1), Minos Kotzambasis. Head Coach: Brian Parillo.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
Adrian Weinberg,
Quinten Osborne,
Marko Vavic (2), Tommy Gruwell (2),
Leo Yuno,
Garrett Zaan (2),
Hannes Daube (2), Jacob Ehrhardt (1),
Mason McQuet,
Ash Molthen (2),
Quinn Woodhead (1),
Warren Loth,
Kent Emden. Head Coach: Jack Kocur.
