2004 IIHF World Junior Championship

Canada 3 United States 4

Gold Medal
January 5, 2003
Helsinki , FIN

SILVER MEDAL FINISH FOR CANADA

Team USA beat Team Canada 4-3 to win the gold medal at the World Junior Championship. The loss, however, still nets Canada silver, making this the sixth consecutive year Team Canada as won a medal at the tournament—the only country to record such an achievement.

The victory gave the US its first WJC gold medal ever, and its first hardware since a silver medal in 1997 when it lost 2-0 to Canada in the final. The US has also earned two bronze medals in tournament history, in 1992 and 1986.
Canada gave up a 3-1 lead going into the third period, on two goals by Nigel Dawes and Anthony Stewart. Stewart also had two assists.

Canadian forward Ryan Getzlaf almost made it 4-1 early in the third before Patrick O’Sullivan scored for the US to narrow Canada’s lead to 3-2 at 4:39.
Ryan Kesler evened the score for Team USA at 6:58 on quick shot in close that hit Canadian goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and flew in the air, over his shoulder and into the net.

O’Sullivan scored his second of the night, the winner at 14:48, when he chased a loose puck heading toward Canada’s goal. Fleury came out to clear the puck, but it hit defenceman Braydon Coburn and bounced into the net.
Fleury faced 28 shots on the night, while US goalie Al Montoya faced 30.
The US now heads home to host the 2005 World Junior Championship, in Grand Forks, ND and Thief River Falls, Minn., as defending champions.