There had to be a slight moment of panic for the US U18 team today when Switzerland jumped out to a 1-0 first period lead against the Americans. But Austin Czarnik responded with a goal just 27 seconds later, and the US cruised to a 5-1 win.
The win appears to give the US a pretty good shot of advancing to the medal round in the tournament. Belarus looks like they're going to finish last in the group, as they got smoked in their game against Sweden today. A win against them in the final Group Round game, should be enough to get the US into the medal round, regardless of what happens in their game with Canada.
The US team gets the day off tomorrow before another big showdown with Canada. The Canadians lost yesterday to the Swiss, but it's still Canada, and any time these two teams meet, it's always a great game. With both teams already having a loss in the tournament, the loser could have to fight for their tournament lives in their final game. Canada faces a tough match-up with group leader Sweden in their final game, so it could be especially important for them.