U.S. Opens World Junior Championship Today

The U.S. National Junior Team begins its quest for gold today at 1 p.m. EST against Canada in Helsinki, Finland in its opening game of the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship. The U.S. is in a bracket that also includes Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

Schools represented on the U.S. roster this year, according to USCHO.com, include Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Miami, Michigan, North Dakota, Notre Dame, St. Cloud State and Yale.

The Americans previously won gold in 2004 in Finland, 2010 in Canada, and 2013 in Russia.

ADDENDUM: Team USA scored three times in the third period to defeat Canada, 4-2, for its first preliminary-round WJC victory over its neighbor to the north since 1998. Colin White (Boston College) scored the first American goal and was named the player of the game. Louie Belpedio  (Miami) scored the game-winner from the left point, after Zach Werenski (Michigan) had tallied from the right point to put the U.S. up by a 2-1 count.