Tuesday, December 30, 2025

U.S. Collegiate Selects Advance to Spengler Cup Final

Fink’s Hat Trick Sends NCAA All-Star Team to Brink in Davos

U.S. Collegiate Selects Advance to Spengler Cup Final
Aiden Fink celebrates the second of his three goals on Tuesday (Photo: Melanie Duchene / Keystone)

DAVOS, Switzerland – Aiden Fink recorded a hat trick to propel the United State Collegiate Selects past HC Sparta Praha 5-3 in the 2025 Spengler Cup semifinals on Tuesday afternoon at zondacrypto-Arena. With the win the Selects (2-1) advance to Wednesday’s title game, where they will face HC Davos in a rematch of their final group match.

Eric Pohlkamp gave the USCS an early 1-0 lead when he blasted home a power-play goal from the left circle. After winning an offensive zone draw, T.J. Hughes (Hamilton, Ont./Michigan) delivered a touch-pass back to the blue line for Jake Livanavage (Phoenix, Ariz./North Dakota), who then fed Pohlkamp for the one-timer. The shot, which registered at 164.3 km/h (102.1 mph) was and remains the hardest shot of the tournament.

The Selects doubled their lead at 7:38 of the opening frame on a breakaway tally from Fink (Calgary, Alta./Penn State), who gathered a look-ahead pass from Quinn Finley (Suamico, Wis./Wisconsin) and fired a shot low, glove-side.

Michael Vitouch answered for Sparta Praha at 11:47, shooting through a screen and into the top left corner of the net for his first goal of the competition.

Sparta Praha then tied the game at 13 seconds of the second period, when Filip Chlapik swatted home a loose puck from between the circles.

The USCS regained the lead on a power-play tally from Charlie Cerrato (Fallston, Md./Penn State) at 11:43 of the second. Set up by Penn State teammates Fink and Mac Gadowsky (State College, Pa./Penn State), Cerrato walked to top of the left circle and wired a shot off the right post and in for his first tally of the Spengler Cup.

Fink then made it a 4-2 game on as stunning wrap-around finish with 1:18 remaining in the middle stanza. Nearly falling to the ice on the play, he was able slip the puck behind Sparta netminder Jakub Kovar for his second goal of the game. Helpers went to Danny Nelson (Maple Grove, Minn./Notre Dame) and Vinny Borgesi (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeastern), who both earned their first points of the week.

Early in the third, Fink completed his hat trick, once again set up by Finley, who snapped pass across the top of the crease for the tap-in finish at the right side of the cage. Hughes, who had the secondary assist on the play, and Finley each picked up their second points of the night.

Chlapik netted his second of the game and third of the tournament on the power play to draw Sparta Praha within 5-3. He beat USCS goaltender Alex Tracy (Chicago, Ill./Minnesota State) low, stick-side with 7:07 left in regulation.

Sparta Praha lifted Kovar for an extra skater with over two minutes to play, but could not draw any closer, as Tracy and the USCS shut the door defensively.

Tracy finished with 32 saves in his first action of the tournament, picking up the team’s second victory. Kovar had 21 stops at the other end. The USCS went 2-for-3 on the power play, while Sparta Praha went 1-for-3 – the first man advantage tally the Selects have allowed in three games.

HC Davos defeated National League-rival HC Fribourg-Gottéron 3-1 in the late semifinal to set up the second meeting for the Group Cattini foes. The Selects defeated Davos 5-3 on Saturday night. The hosts are looking for a record 17th Spengler Cup win, while the USCS will try to join Team Canada (1984) as debutant winners of the prestigious tournament.

For more information on the Spengler Cup, visit www.spenglercup.ch/en. Thursday’s title game can be seen for free on YouTube in the United States by visiting www.youtube.com/@SpenglerCupDavos.

Contact: Perry Laskaris
Director of Communications
United States Collegiate Selects
Laskaris@ccha.com
(651) 308-1065