Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue Set For Team USA Showdown With Czechia In World Juniors Semi-Final

New York Rangers draft picks Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue helped propel Team USA to a 7-2 victory over Switzerland on Jan. 2 to advance to the semi-final of the World Junior Championship. Later on in the day, Czechia won a back and forth game against host nation Canada by a score of 4-3 to guarantee a match-up with the United States on Jan. 4

Perreault and Fortescue have already had immensely successful tournaments alongside their Boston College teammates James Hagens and Ryan Leonard. Perreault has tallied two goals and five assists through five games for the U.S.- featuring on the power play with his Boston College linemates. Fortescue has helped to cement a strong defensive core for the Americans, boasting a plus-six in the plus/minus column, and playing shutdown minutes against teams like Canada and Finland. Perreault and Fortescue both contributed in meaningful ways in the Americans victory over Switzerland, with Perreault registering three assists in the contest.

On Saturday, the Americans will be facing off against a tough and talented opponent in Czechia. The Czechs are 4-0-0-1 through five games at the World Juniors, including impressive wins over Slovakia and Canada. Through their four preliminary games, Czechia allowed just nine goals, setting the stage for a tight contest with the United States who, to this point in the tournament, have run rampant offensively in almost game they've played.

Czech goalie Michael Hrabal has earned a .921 save percentage and a 2.52 goals against average to this point in the tournament, stats that surpass those of probable U.S. starter Trey Augustine.

In addition to a staunch defense, the Czechs have also found success offensively, scoring 25 goals in the preliminary round- the most of any team at the 2025 World Juniors. Fortescue's ability to shut down opposition's offensive efforts will be critical if the United States are to advance to the gold medal game.

Effective defense isn't the only thing the States will need, though. Perreault and his linemates have tallied a combined 21 points at the tournament so far, and if the Americans hope to advance yet again, they'll more than likely need to continue producing.

The U.S. roster is stacked with talent, but the importance of players like Perreault can't be overstated. The 19-year-old forward's ability to facilitate offense could prove to be the key for a U.S. squad looking to repeat as World Junior Champions in 2025.