Article by Zach Rudeen. Photo by Zach Rudeen.
Every year the world juniors hockey tournament crowns a gold medalist, and this past month USA won for the second year in a row. Among those talented players on roster was the Huskies own Collin Ralph and Austin Burnevik.
“It was an honor to ultimately be selected,” said freshman standout Austin Burnevik.
The roster itself features just 25 players, making that roster a prestigious honor itself. “I think it’s an honor to make that team, and a privilege anytime you get the chance to represent your country,” said freshmen defensemen Collin Ralph.
The Husky duo was joined by their head coach Brett Larson on the roster. They both described his impact positively, and getting to see their coach in a more personal role was good for them. Coach Larson was one of the assistant coaches for team USA, so a different role for him than his usual head coaching spot.
Team USA did not face much adversity in the tournament besides their loss to Finland who they later played and beat in the gold medal match.
“We knew what our group was capable of,” said Burnevik, talking about the mindset entering the gold medal match.
The USA ended up winning three on three overtime. Neither Husky had a huge statistical output during the tournament, but both played in most of the games and contributed to their team winning gold. Both players mentioned how USA was able to adjust to new roles quickly and that being a big reason they won gold.
The season isn’t over yet for the Huskies with a few weekends left of NCHC play and then the conference tournament. The Huskies have not played to their expectations as of lately, but there still remains with a chance to make a successful run in the NCHC tournament with important players returning.
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