ZURICH, Switzerland – After a disappointing opening defeat to host Switzerland, the reigning IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship champions the United States got their tournament back on track Sunday, securing a dominant 5-1 victory over first-time top-tier qualifier Great Britain in a Group A preliminary round matchup held in Zurich.
Forward Isaac Howard led the scoring charge for the U.S. with two goals, while linemates Paul Cotter and Mathieu Olivier notched three points apiece, and defenseman Declan Carlile contributed a one-goal, one-assist performance to round out the American offensive effort. Goaltender Devin Cooley anchored the win between the pipes, turning away 18 of the 19 shots he faced to keep Great Britain’s offense bottled up for most of the contest.
Cotter opened the scoring for the U.S. at the 13:55 mark of the first period, slipping the puck into the net from point-blank range to break the early deadlock. Great Britain, competing in its first ever top-division world championship, held firm and evened the score mid-way through the second period. Defenseman Nathanael Halbert converted on the power play, firing a shot through a crowd of American skaters that found the back of the net to make the score 1-1.
With less than three minutes remaining in the middle frame, Howard capitalized on a Great Britain defensive mistake to slot home an unassisted goal, restoring the U.S. lead at 2-1 heading into the final period. Howard, who was part of the 2023 U.S. championship roster alongside teammate Mason Lohrei, proved to be a consistent offensive threat all game.
Early in the third period, the Americans extended their lead in quick succession, with Olivier and Carlile finding the net just 15 seconds apart to push the score to 4-1. Olivier put away a rebound off a saved American shot, while Carlile’s shot from the blue line deflected off a British defender and past the goaltender. Howard closed out the scoring with his second goal of the game on a U.S. power play with 3:49 left on the clock, sealing the three-goal victory for the defending champions.
Looking ahead, the U.S. is set to take on Finland in their next preliminary round matchup on Monday. The team will also receive a significant boost ahead of their Tuesday game, with the scheduled arrival of Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk – a gold medal winner with Team USA at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. As for Great Britain, the tournament newcomer dropped to its second consecutive defeat after earning promotion to the top division this cycle.
In other world championship action Sunday, in Group B play held in Fribourg, Slovakia earned its second win of the tournament with a 4-1 victory over another debutant side, Italy. The remainder of Sunday’s schedule sees 2023 bronze medalist Sweden face Denmark, and Norway take on Slovenia in Fribourg, while Zurich will host matchups between Austria and Hungary, and Germany and Latvia.