DAVOS, Switzerland — The U.S. Collegiate Selects gathered at center ice to take a team picture Saturday night.
Spengler Cup organizers wanted to document a little history.
The U.S. Collegiate Selects beat host HC Davos 5-3 on Saturday — a result that stunned local fans. It was the first win in the event for the NCAA all-star team, which is playing in the Spengler Cup for the first time.
The last time a college team won a Spengler Cup game in Davos was 1982,
when North Dakota beat Swiss-based Davos Verstark.
The Selects’ win over HC Davos came 38 years to the day of North Dakota’s victory.
“That’s a hell of a win for college hockey,” Selects coach Guy Gadowsky told his team in the locker room after the game.
Gadowsky repeated that in his postgame interview.
“It’s a great win for college hockey in an absolutely beautiful building with an incredible atmosphere,” he said. “A lot of work from a lot of people over the years went into this.”
Wisconsin forward Quinn Finley scored twice and tallied an assist. Penn State forward Matt DiMarsico also scored twice and Denver’s Eric Pohlkamp added the insurance goal late in the third period.
Minnesota Duluth forward Zam Plante and Penn State forward Aiden Fink each tallied two assists. North Dakota defenseman Abram Wiebe and Michigan forward T.J. Hughes also tallied assists.
“We’re just trying to show how good college hockey is,” defenseman Gavin McCarthy of Boston University said. “I think we did that tonight.”
U.S. Collegaite Selects defenseman Abram Wiebe, a junior at UND, takes a shot during a 5-3 win over HC Davos at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
Simon French / USCS
The Selects have Sunday off while HC Davos and Team Canada play on the final day of pool play.
The Selects still can win their group and get a bye to the semifinals if HC Davos beats Team Canada by one or two goals — or if the score is 4-1 or 3-0 Davos. If Team Canada wins, the Selects will place second in their group and play in a quarterfinal game Monday.
The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday. The championship is Thursday.
“We had a game plan going into this tournament,” Gadowsky said. “We wanted to stick with it and I thought the guys did a great job.”
Minnesota Duluth goaltender Adam Gajan, who grew up watching the Spengler Cup in his native Slovakia, got the start for the Selects on Saturday. He was sensational in stopping 29 shots.
“He was excellent,” Gadowsky said. “We did have a couple of breakdowns and he was fantastic. It was a huge team win but there were some great individual plays.”
Gajan plays for head coach Scott Sandelin at Minnesota Duluth.
Sandelin was on the 1982 North Dakota team that won in Davos.
U.S. Collegiate Selects goaltender Adam Gajan of Minnesota Duluth makes a save during a 5-3 win over HC Davos in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
Simon French / USCS
The Selects outshot Davos 38-33.
The Selects never trailed.
Finley gave the Selects a lead just 2:31 into the game after Wiebe made a nice hold and Fink made a nice feed. DiMarsico added to the lead at 1:42 of the second with his first goal of the tournament.
Davos tied it with back-to-back goals — including a shorthander — but DiMarsico answered with his second of the game before the end of the second period.
“I think the atmosphere fed everyone’s emotions,” DiMarsico said. “Once we got the lead, we did a good job of keeping it.”
U.S. Collegiate Selects forward Matt DiMarsico of Penn State celebrates his goal against HC Davos on Dec. 27, 2025, in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
Simon French / USCS
Finley gave the Selects a 4-2 lead early in the third period, but Michael Fora pulled Davos within one with a goal at 5:57.
Pohlkamp, of Brainerd, Minn., iced the game with a power-play blast from the point with 2:11 to go.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be here,” Fink said. “This is a great tournament. It’s been around for a long time. Getting that first win is big. It’s exciting, but we still have a couple of days to play.”
This report was done remotely.
U.S. Collegiate Selects 5, HC Davos 3
First period — 1. USCS, Quinn Finley (Aiden Fink, Abram Wiebe) 2:31
Second period — 2. USCS, Matt DiMarsico (Fink) 1:42, 3. HCD, Yannick Frehner 2:13; 4. HCD, Sven Jung (Rasmus Asplund, Nico Gross) 16:41 (sh); 5. USCS, DiMarsico (Charlie Cerrato) 17:12
Third period — 6. USCS, Quinn Finley (T.J. Hughes, Zam Plante) 1:53; 7. HCD, Michael Fora (Enzo Corvi, Brendan Lemieux) 5:57; 8. USCS, Eric Pohlkamp (Finley, Plante) 17:49 (pp)
Goalie saves — USCS: Adam Gajan 29; HCD: Sandro Aeschlimann 33
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.