USA U16 team: “Our mindset is always that we want gold”

“It was a good game,” he said about the win. “It took a while for us to get going but once it started clicking, we were really good.”

It stayed 0-0 for a long time. What was the feeling among the players as that continued?
“Oh, it was a little nervous, to be honest. Going into the third period 0-0, you never know what’s going to happen. But once we got that first goal, it was really a relief, and then we got the second one and we were feeling really good.”

Up 2-0, the Czechs really pressed at the end and got one goal. How difficult was it to protect the lead?
“We’ve practised this. We were prepared and we really hunkered down towards the end of the game. We knew they were going to come hard at us and crash the net a lot, so we just cleared it out as best we could and got it done.”

You’ve played two really close games now. Earlier today you lost 4-3 to Slovakia, and now this one.
“I think in the first game we were still not quite ready. We had a couple of practises but we still weren’t used to that game atmosphere. It was a really tough game and I think that got us into the tournament and helped us play better in this one.”

So the first day is finished. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
“I’m just looking forward to playing our next game. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time and we’re all really excited to be here and I’m just really excited to get back out here tomorrow.”

Is this your first World Junior Championship?
“No, it’s my second. I played last year on the U16 team and we won bronze. This year, we want to win gold. We had a tough loss in the first game but our mindset is always that we want gold.”

How long have you guys been in Zilina?
“We got in on Monday. Since then we’ve practised a few times and we’ve explored the city. We love it – it’s a really nice place.”

How have you enjoyed it here so far?
“It’s been great. Of course I love playing, especially when we win and get to hear our anthem after. And I enjoy watching some of the other games too. We’ve watched parts of our (USA) U18 team’s games and it’s really cool to see how they work.”

Your players come from different parts of the United States. How often do you get to see them during the season?
“Well, there are different regions. There’s Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Massachusetts. We’ll see each other at local tournaments, but there are only a couple of camps and one or two tournaments a year where everyone gets a chance to see each other before we come here.”