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The third day of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup opened in Trenčín with a decisive USA vs. Germany showdown. From the first puck drop, it was clear who would dominate. The favored Americans put the game to bed within just five minutes, scoring three goals in quick succession. They went on to score five more, while Germany scored only once in the entire game.
Penalties: 4:3. PP goals: 1:0. SH goals: 2:0.
Referees: Baluška, Crman – Gegáň, Stanzel. Attendance: 859.
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Right off the bat, the U.S. went shorthanded – but still managed to strike first. Luke Puchner’s smart deke hid a pass to Jaxon Williams, who tapped it in to break the deadlock. Caden Harvey then intercepted a German pass, skated into position, and scored on a breakaway – 2:0. Blake Zielinski moved through the corner and found Jack Hextall in the slot; his quick shot made it 3:0 before Germany could react, prompting coach Andreas Becherer to call a timeout to steady his team.
The second period saw no mercy. Rogowski and Harper completed a rushed 2-on-1 play to make it 4:0, and Nolan Duskocy added a breakaway tally at 5:0. In the third, Hextall, Zielinski and ultimately Kalder Varga combined to make it 6:0. Then came 23 tough seconds for Germany – Davidson’s deflected shot was tucked in by Zielinski and a sharp Harvey finish saw the scoreboard jump up another two to make it 8:0. Germany got a consolation goal from Jack Peterka, but it wasn’t enough, with the USA securing their spot in the upcoming semi-finals.