2002 IIHF World U18 Championships

The 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Piešťany and Trnava, Slovakia. The championships began on April 11, 2002, and finished on April 21, 2002. Games were played at Zimny Stadion in Piešťany and Zimny Stadion in Trnava. The United States (US) finished first in the final round to capture the gold, while Russia and the Czech Republic captured the silver and bronze medal respectively. The US and Russia played the last game of the final round to determine the medals. Needing to beat Russia by two goals, the US led 2–1 with a minute remaining. They pulled their goalie, leading to Zach Parise's gold medal-winning goal with thirty seconds remaining.