CORONATO, USA FALL TO CZECHIA

It happens at almost every event.
An upset.
A perennial powerhouse coming up short against a feisty foe billed as the underdog.
On Wednesday, Matt Coronato and the United States were on the receiving end of that punishing plot, bowing out to the Czechs by a 4-2 score in the quarterfinals of the World Junior Championship.

Coronato picked up an assist on the game's opening strike, 12:03 into the first period. The Flames prospect slammed on the brakes and corralled a loose puck that took a wild bounce off the kickplate, before spinning and firing from a sharp angle. Coronato's look was turned aside, but Logan Cooley was Johnny on the Spot, slapping home the rebound to put the Americans in front.
The 19-year-old finishes the tournament with four goals and seven points in five games.

Czechia, though, showed all kinds of fight, despite getting out-shot 16-10 in the frame. With 2:05 to play, Jan Mysak got a piece of a Jiri Tichacek point offering, sending the teams to the dressing room in a 1-1 tie.
Petr Hauser gave the Czechs a 2-1 lead at 7:34 with an absolute sizzler off the rush, pinging the far post on the way by.
It soon became a two-goal lead when Matyas Sapovaliv dribbled a long shot through the wickets of American netminder Kaidan Mbereko - a goal the youngster would certainly want back.

Czechia out-shot the U.S. 8-4 in the period.
The Czechs had a glorious chance to extend the lead when American blueliner Brett Berard was given a match penalty for slew-footing early in the third period, but they were unable to capitalize on a lengthy powerplay.
That proved costly.
Because with 10:56 to play in regulation, Stanislav Svozil was given five and a game for kneeing, putting the Americans on a long PP of their own.
Carter Mazur then cut the deficit to one as he banged home a loose puck at 11:51.
Suddenly, it was game on.
The U.S. pressed for the equalizer, but with 1:32 to go, Jiri Kulich took off and buried the puck into the empty net to make it a 4-2 game. Coronato had a free look at the yawning cage a short while later, but Czech blueliner David Spacek got a stick on it and redirected the puck over the net, preventing the Americans from getting any closer with under a minute left.
Czechia will now face Canada in the semis, while the Americans - who went undefeated in the round robin - are heading home.