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USA tops Russia to advance to gold-medal game

Kevin Light / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The United States edged Russia 2-1 Friday night in semifinal action of the world junior hockey championship to advance to the gold-medal game on Saturday.

The U.S. will play Finland, who thrashed Switzerland in the second semifinal. Meanwhile, Russia will now face the Swiss in a battle for the bronze medal.

Goaltender Cayden Primeau, who turned away 32 of 33 shots, and Grigori Denisenko, who scored Russia's lone goal, were named the Players of the Game.

Ryan Poehling, Jason Robertson, and Mikey Anderson were named the Americans' three best players of the tournament. Ilya Morozov, Klim Kostin, and Pyotr Kochetkov earned the honors for Russia.

With the win, the Americans advance to the gold-medal game a year after losing to Sweden in the semifinal. As for the Russians, they will now look to win their second bronze medal in the last three years.

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