Young Americans come of age

Youthful US team stands tall against Canada

It's no secret the young United States men's hockey team is fast and skilled.

Turns out the kids can hit, too.

Answering all the questions raised about their youth and inexperience, the US went toe to toe with Canada in a bruising matchup between the longtime rivals. Using not just speed and skill but also a healthy dose of physicality against bigger, stronger opponents, the Americans emerged with a hard-earned 4-2 victory on Saturday and are unbeaten in two games at the Olympics.

"We didn't back down from their physical play," said captain Andy Miele, who led the US with a goal and an assist. "I love the way our team responded. I'm so proud of this group. We took a beating. They kept on going forward, we kept on coming back at them and got the outcome that we deserved."

Thanks to Miele's goal 70 seconds after Canada scored and 35 saves by Strauss Mann, the US is in the driver's seat to earn a quarterfinal spot. Beating Germany on Sunday would put the Americans first in the group and could make them the top seed in the knockout round.

With eight players under the age of 21, the US was one of the hardest teams to figure out in a tournament without NHL talent. The boom-or-bust potential of the youngest team in the tournament was on full display against Canada.

With Claude Julien back behind the bench two weeks after breaking his ribs in a sledding accident, the Canadians figured they'd use their physicality to wear down the smaller Americans. Instead, the US－with 12 college players on the ice－went hit for hit with Canada and used a combination of offensive skill and bad opposing goaltending to take control of the game.

"The kids can play, I think it's safe to say," said Kenny Agostino, who scored the fourth US goal. "It's clear we've got a lot of speed and a lot of talent, but I think this was a man's game tonight: Canada-USA, there's no real explanation needed. I think all of them stepped up and played like men out there."

There were some hiccups, like Mann allowing a soft goal to Mat Robinson from the boards 40 feet away 1:24 in. Miele's goal kept the US from playing from behind for too long.

Brian O'Neill, the lone returnee from the 2018 Olympics, called falling behind early "good adversity" after routing China 8-0 in the opener. Facing Canada was a test that the US passed by leaning on strengths like playing fast and also adapting to changes in the pace of the game.

"The biggest thing for us is just playing fast," said Harvard forward Sean Farrell, who assisted on Ben Meyers' goal and has six points through two games. "We have a bunch of guys who can play fast, and if we add that physical component as well, it's going to be really hard for teams to break pucks out, and when we turn pucks over we have the skill to capitalize."

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA