Canada blanks Slovakia 4-0 in U18 hockey semi-finals, advances to gold medal game

Canada blanked Slovakia 4-0 in the semifinals of the under-18 world hockey championship, led by goalie Jack Ivankovic's 24-save performance. Cole Reschny and Jack Nesbitt scored power-play goals in the third period, while Xavier Villeneuve opened scoring in the second and Ryan Roobroeck added insurance with an even-strength goal. Canada will face either Sweden or the United States for gold on Saturday.

Canada has secured a spot in the gold medal game of the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship following a commanding 4-0 victory over Slovakia in the semifinals. The Canadians showcased their offensive prowess and solid goaltending to dispatch the Slovakian team, setting the stage for a potential historic gold medal run.

The match was characterized by Canada's dominant performance, with goalie Jack Ivankovic making 24 saves to keep Slovakia off the board. The Canadians struck early and often, with Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada) opening the scoring in the second period. Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals) and Jack Nesbitt (Windsor Spitfires) both scored power-play goals in the third period, while Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs) added an insurance goal on even strength. These goals provided Canada with a comfortable 4-0 lead, which they held until the final buzzer.

Canada will now face either Sweden or the United States in the gold medal game on Saturday, May 3 at 5 p.m. PT. This will be a significant moment for the Canadians, who are aiming to become the first back-to-back gold medal winners at the U18 World Championship since the United States accomplished the feat in 2014 and 2015.

The victory over Slovakia marks Canada's third consecutive appearance in the medal round, with the Canadians having won the bronze medal in 2024. Slovakia, meanwhile, will play the loser of the other semifinal in the Bronze Medal game on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT, seeking to change its fortunes after consecutive losses in the bronze medal games.

The performance of the Vancouver Giants' representatives, defenceman Ryan Lin and forward Cameron Schmidt, was notable. Lin played a crucial role in Slovakia's early penalty kill, while Schmidt combined for four shots on goal, though neither registered a point. Giants goaltender Burke Hood, representing Canada internationally for the first time, did not see any game action.

References:
[1] https://chl.ca/whl-giants/article/u18-recap-canada-to-play-for-gold-at-u18-world-championship