DENVER – Denver Pioneers hockey sophomore
Carter Mazur shined for the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship despite the Americans' bid for a repeat gold medal falling short.
Mazur was named one of the United States' best three players in the under-20 tournament held from Aug. 9-20 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, as he led the team and ranked tied for second overall with five goals. The forward also contributed two assists to finish second on Team USA in scoring with seven points.
The U.S. was the top seed out of Group B as the squad went 4-0-0 in the preliminary round but was upset by a 4-2 score in the quarterfinals by Czechia on Aug. 17. Mazur scored in that contest to get USA within one in the third period, but the Czechs answered right back to pull off the victory.
Mazur was twice named the best player of the game for the United States, earning the recognition in the quarterfinals against Czechia and in a 7-1 victory versus Switzerland on Aug. 11 where he contributed two goals and one assist. The Jackson, Michigan, native also posted a multi-goal outing in a 7-0 win versus Austria and contributed an assist in the pool-play opener against Germany on Aug. 9.
The Americans secured the top spot in the group with a 3-2 win versus Sweden on Aug. 14.
DU had a second player on Team USA as well in defenseman
Sean Behrens, but he sophomore only played in one contest due to injury. He skated 11:21 against Switzerland on Aug. 11.
The 2022 World Juniors were replayed after the initial tournament last December was cancelled due to COVID-19. Behrens and Mazur were invited to training camp for the original Team USA roster in December, with Mazur making the squad and skating in one game for the Americans before the tournament was cancelled. Behrens couldn't attend the initial camp due to COVID protocol.
Three other Pioneers were invited to USA Hockey's 2022 National Junior Evaluation Camp, which was held from July 24-Aug. 3 in Plymouth, Michigan, to select this summer's squad: sophomores
Shai Buium and
Jack Devine and incoming freshman
Aidan Thompson. Behrens, Buium and Devine are eligible to take part in the 2023 World Juniors, which will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick, and during its usual time in the calendar year from Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023.
Host Canada won the 2022 World Junior Championship, defeating Finland in overtime in the gold medal game on Saturday. Sweden also earned a medal by claiming the bronze over Czechia.
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