LILLEHAMMER – The United States are looking like a force to be reckoned with at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. A day after dispatching Finland 4-1 Team USA took care of business against Norway, shutting out the hosts 9-0.

"We just came together early on and the chemistry's there," said forward Oliver Wahlstrom, who had a hat trick in the game. "Right now we're on fire and we're feeling it, the next big game's against Canada and we feel confident going into that."

Norway responded well initially in the first period after being blown out by the Finns in its opening game to the tune of 11-0. After weathering some initial pressure by the Americans the Norwegians got physical and kept them to the outside with some solid defensive play.

But Team USA managed to get on the board midway through the first period, as Tyler Weiss found Wahlstrom with a cross-crease pass on the power play.

Then on a three-on-two rush the Americans went up by two on a nice passing play that ended on the stick of Wahlstrom for his second goal of the game. Soon after Jacob Pivonka went to the roof of the Norwegian net with a score coming off of a two-on-one rush, assisted by Erik Middendorf and Ty Emberson.

The Americans then poured it on in the second frame. Pivonka scored his second of the game, this time on the powerplay with a wraparound effort early in the period. Then Erik Middendorf fired a wristshot into the top corner with his team on the penalty kill, followed up with another score from Pivonka to complete the hat trick.

Wahlstrom got a hat trick of his own with a third goal early in the third period, as the Americans cruised the rest of the way to the 9-0 victory.

"Our depth," said captain Mattias Samuelsson when asked about his team's greatest strentgh. "We're rolling with all three lines, all three D pairings and in net."

Team USA now has two wins and zero losses so far a the 2016 Youth Olympics, with a date against Canada next on 16 February. Things don’t get much easier for the Norwegians in the preliminary round, as the team faces Russia tomorrow.

ADAM STEISS