<p>OTTAWA –&nbsp;The United States of America are off to the semifinals for the third year in a row after beating Switzerland 7-2 in the first quarterfinal in Kanata on Thursday.</p>



<p> Switzerland has fallen in the quarterfinal for the fourth year in a row and the 11th time since getting back into the top division in 2010.</p>



<p>The Americans were in full control from the get-go, with Brandon Svoboda and James Hagens scoring a goal each in the first eight minutes. Ryan Leonard and Danny Nelson would both add goals before the end of the first, but Nils Rhyn would score a shorthanded goal between them for Switzerland to get them on the board. </p>



<p>From there, it was all United States. Zeev Buium, Hagens and Leonard would all score to make it 7-1, with Buium and Leonard converting on the power play. Switzerland would get one at 46:53 when Andro Kaderli scored on the power play, but that was far too late to gain any late-game momentum.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="168"></div>



<p>Here’s a look at the top performers from Thursday afternoon at the Canadian Tire Centre:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">USA</h2>



<p><strong>#11 Oliver Moore, LW (Chicago Blackhawks):</strong> Moore uses his speed to generate offense, and today, he was a perfect example of that. He had two assists while also being one of USA’s top backcheckers. His game is so energetic and he also has the hands to make some impressive plays, too.</p>



<p><strong>#74 Brodie Ziemer, RW (Buffalo Sabres):</strong> It’s hard not to like Ziemer out there. He plays a smart, detailed game and is a perfect complement to Moore and Nelson. The effort is always there, even if his luck with the puck isn’t. He makes himself at home around the net.</p>



<p><strong>#12 James Hagens, C (2025 NHL Draft)</strong>: Hagens was buzzing with two goals today. The first came on an excellent deke after taking Oliver Moore’s pass in front, and the second was on a give-and-go with Perreault. The 2025 NHL Draft prospect has played a shining role for the Americans as expected –&nbsp;better than any other draft-eligible prospect in Ottawa over the past week.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="180"></div>



<p><strong>#34 Gabe Perreault, LW (New York Rangers): </strong>He was making things happen, man. Perreault had three primary assists in the second period alone, showing excellent chemistry with his Boston College teammate, as usual. He was swerving through opponents, battling hard and using his creativity to make opportunities happen.</p>



<p><strong>#9 Ryan Leonard, RW (Washington Capitals):</strong> Leonard was involved in everything. He was physical, took opponents way from his teammates to open up scoring lanes and scored twice, too. While his linemates were the ones doing the damage on the scoresheet, I really liked what Leonard did away from the puck. He also took a puck to the face and returned without missing a beat.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Switzerland</h2>



<p><strong>#22 Andro Kaderli, RW (Undrafted):</strong> Switzerland struggled to get consistent scoring opportunities, but Kaderli seemed to always be near the net. He scored the second Swiss goal on a good effort after battling hard around the crease. It wasn’t much of a consolation prize, but, hey, he tried.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="161"></div>



<p><strong>SPONSORED BY bet365</strong></p>



<p></p><div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="309" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div><p></p>


Ryan Leonard (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)