OTTAWA, Ontario — In an impressive display, Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson contributed five assists to propel the United States to a commanding 10-4 win over Germany, marking the start of their world junior hockey title defense on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre.

James Hagens of Boston College emerged as a standout player, netting two goals along with two assists. His teammate, Gabe Perreault, and Minnesota’s Brodie Ziemer also shone brightly, each scoring twice during the Group A matchup. Additional goals came from BU’s Brandon Svoboda, Cole Eiserman, Trevor Connelly from Providence, and Carey Terrance of the Erie Otters. Michigan State’s Trey Augustine secured the victory with 18 saves in the net.

U.S. head coach David Carle voiced his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “I thought overall we did a lot of good things and we’ll continue to grow and build,” he commented. “It was good to get a win under our belt and we’ll turn our focus now to playing Latvia on Saturday.”

For Germany, the scoring came from Julius Sumpf, David Lewandowski, Lenny Boos, and Timo Ruckdaschel, while Nico Pertuch managed to block 46 shots in goal. Germany’s next challenge comes against Finland on Friday.

Additionally, in another Group A match, Canada earned a 4-0 victory over Finland, with Carter George making 31 saves. Goals for Canada were scored by Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Luca Pinelli, and Matthew Schaefer.

In the action from Group B at TD Place, Sweden secured a 5-2 win against Slovakia, while Czechia triumphed over Switzerland with a score of 5-1. Notably, Axel Sandin Pellikka from Sweden showcased his talent with a natural hat trick and added an assist, further enhancing his team’s strong performance.